Kolkata stampede: CM Adhikari to visit 19 victims' families on Oct 20-21
Synopsis
At least 19 people are dead and 25 injured after a rope-held passage at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata collapsed under a surging crowd. CM Suvendu Adhikari has personally pledged doorstep compensation visits, excluded police and fire services from the SIT to probe their own role, and is awaiting Calcutta High Court approval to constitute the probe panel — signalling a rare instance of the government placing its own agencies under independent scrutiny.
Key Takeaways
19 people died and 25 were injured in the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal stampede in north Kolkata .
CM Suvendu Adhikari will personally visit every victim's family on 20 and 21 October to hand over compensation cheques.
Families of the 25 injured each received a cheque of ₹5 lakh at the Bijaya Sammilani event on 26 October .
Seven individuals , including organisers, have been arrested under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) .
Kolkata Police , KMC , and State Fire Services have been excluded from the SIT so their own roles can be independently examined.
The SIT will be led by a sitting judge, pending Calcutta High Court approval.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting at Bhabani Bhawan in Kolkata and announced he will personally visit the families of all 19 people killed in the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal stampede, handing over compensation cheques on 20 and 21 October. The tragedy, which unfolded when a portion of the exit gate structure at the pandal in north Kolkata collapsed amid a surge of devotees, has prompted the state government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and arrest seven individuals, including organisers.
What Happened at the Pandal
A massive crowd had gathered at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal to view the idols when chaos broke out after the exit gate structure gave way. According to CM Adhikari, a temporary passage held in place by ropes collapsed — 'It started raining, and the rope was released. There were no proper two-lane arrangements there. A temporary passage had been created using ropes, forming a chain. That chain broke, and everyone got mixed up,' he said.
17 people were declared brought dead at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, with the toll climbing to 19 by Sunday. Another 25 people were admitted for treatment; two of those in the ICU sustained bone fractures, while the remaining 23 were reported fit for discharge.
SIT Formation and Accountability
CM Adhikari confirmed that personnel from the Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and the State Fire Services Department have been deliberately excluded from the SIT so that their own roles in the incident can be independently investigated. The SIT will function under the supervision of a sitting judge; the Chief Secretary has been directed to write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking the necessary permission.
'Seven individuals have been arrested and are currently in police custody under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),' the Chief Minister stated. He added that a team comprising a civil administration official, a police official, and the local MLA will remain with each victim's family until the cremation is completed.
Compensation and State Response
At the Bijaya Sammilani event on 26 October, the government paid tribute to the deceased and distributed cheques of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the 25 injured. CM Adhikari reiterated his commitment to visiting every deceased person's family within two days to personally hand over their compensation. Of the 19 who died, 18 were residents of West Bengal and one was from Bihar.
The Chief Minister also noted that the civic volunteers deployed at the pandal were recruited from a 2024–25 list, and that no new personnel had been inducted. He said the list would be scrutinised but cautioned against premature blame: 'It would not be right to blame them without examining the facts.'
Government in Crisis Mode
CM Adhikari said he is personally overseeing the situation alongside the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner of Police, the Home Secretary, and the Director General of Police (DGP). He noted that the Governor and the Union Home Minister had also visited the hospital. Acknowledging the scale of West Bengal's population — between 10.5 and 11 crore — he stressed the government's responsibility to ensure safety at large religious gatherings.
With the SIT awaiting High Court clearance and the investigation still at an early stage, accountability for the crowd-management failures that led to this tragedy is likely to be established over the coming weeks.
Point of View
KMC, and the Fire Services from the SIT is the most significant governance signal in this tragedy — it is an implicit admission that institutional failure, not just crowd behaviour, is under scrutiny. Yet the SIT's formation is conditional on Calcutta High Court permission, which introduces delay at precisely the moment accountability demands urgency. West Bengal has seen repeated crowd-management failures at large religious gatherings, and the use of rope barriers as crowd-control infrastructure at a pandal drawing thousands is a systemic lapse, not a one-off. Whether the SIT's eventual findings translate into structural reform — or remain a political gesture — will define the real legacy of this incident.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede?
The stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata was triggered when a temporary rope-barrier passage used to manage crowd movement collapsed, causing a crush among the large number of devotees who had gathered to view the idols. According to CM Adhikari, there were no proper two-lane arrangements in place, and the chain of ropes broke when it began to rain.
How many people died in the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede?
The death toll reached 19 by Sunday, with 17 people declared brought dead at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. Of the 19 deceased, 18 were residents of West Bengal and one was from Bihar. An additional 25 people were hospitalised, with two suffering bone fractures in the ICU.
What compensation is the West Bengal government providing to victims?
CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that he will personally visit each of the 19 victims' families on 20 and 21 October to hand over compensation cheques. The families of the 25 injured each received ₹5 lakh at the Bijaya Sammilani event on 26 October.
Who has been arrested in connection with the Kolkata stampede?
Seven individuals, including organisers of the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, have been arrested and placed in police custody under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The arrests were made on Sunday.
What is the SIT formed to probe the Kolkata stampede?
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be led by a sitting judge and is designed to probe institutional accountability for the stampede. Kolkata Police, KMC, and the State Fire Services Department have been excluded from the SIT so their own roles can be examined independently. The SIT's constitution is pending approval from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
