A combination of rain, a massive crowd and narrow entry and exit gates proved to be deadly for visitors at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, killing 17 people and leaving at least 18 others injured. The dead include 13 women and a child.
“All injured persons were rescued and taken to MCH (Medical College and Hospital. Reinforcement from the Control Room, Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police, DMG (Disaster Management Group team and ambulances with medical teams were deployed. The Puja Pandal is now closed to visitors. Since it was raining, people were in a hurry to get in. The area was very narrow. It was dark. There was not a single light. There was a small girl and a boy. I also fell. I was very scared. There were many people on top of the girl and the boy. There were no police or volunteers. There was nothing,” he recounted.
Two people fell due to the darkness. As per the information received so far, around 35 people have been taken to MCH. “At the entrance, there was a 1.5-hour-long queue.
The Kolkata Police said a stampede broke out around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Puja Pandal in the Girish Park Police Station area due to “heavy crowds of pandal visitors during rain”. Further details are awaited,” the police said in a statement.
