A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday resulted in up to 19 fatalities. The Prime Minister's Office offered ex-gratia payments of Rs 50,000 for the injured and Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died shortly after the disaster.
The stampede was described as "extremely distressing."
"My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a post on X. He hoped the injured would recover as soon as possible. The local government is helping those affected in every way it can.
Heavy Rain Triggered Crowd Surge
A crowd surge at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday night resulted in at least 19 fatalities and about 25 injuries, highlighting the dangers of extremely large gatherings and the measures needed to control them.
Amid heavy rain and a sizable crowd of pandal-hoppers, the incident occurred at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata.
Preliminary reports from the state government and police indicate that the rain caused people who were waiting outside to move towards the pandal, and an announcement made over the public-address system seems to have added to the confusion.
A tragic crush resulted from people falling as the crowd surged. Investigations are underway to determine the precise sequence of events.
"A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday resulted in up to 19 fatalities. The Prime Minister's Office…"
