Stampede / 17 Killed, Over 30 Injured in Crowd Surge at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 17: A tragic incident marred the Durga Puja celebrations at Chorbagan Sarbojanin in Kolkata after a massive crowd surge inside the pandal led to a stampede-like situation amid heavy rain on Saturday. At least 17 visitors died after being crushed in the rush, according to information from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. Several others were reported to be in critical condition.

Eyewitness Describes Horrifying Scene
An eyewitness said she was leaving the pandal with three female friends when the incident occurred. The pandal was packed with visitors, while several people had gathered near the entrance to shelter from the heavy rain.

According to her account, a sudden push from behind caused people at the front to fall. Others then fell on top of them, leaving those at the bottom unable to get up or escape.

“My three friends were trapped underneath. It was impossible to breathe, and many people had fainted. I could not pull them out, as others were also grabbing my hand. Later, local residents broke through another section of the pandal and helped people escape,” she said.

The injured were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.

Several Injured In Critical Condition
Sources at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital said 17 people had died among those brought to the facility. Doctors expressed concern that the death toll could rise, as several patients remained in an extremely critical condition.

At least 15 people were reportedly in a particularly serious condition, with multiple injuries. The number of injured people arriving at the hospital continued to rise, with hospital sources indicating that the total had crossed 30.

Medical teams were making every effort to provide life-saving support to critically injured patients.

Although emergency services were operational, the holiday period meant that several senior doctors were not initially present at the hospital. However, all department heads were reportedly asked to reach the facility urgently. Most had arrived, while the remaining doctors were on their way.

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The state health minister also reached the hospital after receiving news of the incident.

Hospital sources said the condition of most patients admitted following the incident remained extremely critical.