Kolkata stampede LIVE: Seven accused sent to 10-day police custody
CM Suvendu Adhikari announces Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia and jobs for kin of deceased, says government will form fact-finding team led by HC judge to probe incident
At least 19 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday (October 17). A majority of the deceased are said to be women and children.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who rushed to the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where the victims were taken, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh and a Group D govt job for the family of each deceased. He said the government will take full responsibility for the treatment of the injured and provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to each of them.
What led to the stampede?
The chief minister said the incident occurred at around 7.30 pm at Kolkata’s Chorbagan Sarbojanin puja pandal and an announcement by the organisers led to a rush among the revellers, causing the "painful incident".
"According to initial reports by the officials at the spot, the incident occurred owing to an announcement on the loudspeaker by the puja organisers," he said.
Even though investigators are still piecing together the sequence of incidents that led to the stampede, some reports also say that a heavy downpour and an announcement at the puja pandal led to chaos and the subsequent tragedy.
A TOI report says that as a drizzle turned into a heavy spell of rain, visitors were forced to take refuge inside the pandal.
A senior officer told New Indian Express that when it started raining, the crowd waiting outside the pandal rushed forward and, in the process, some of them fell, leading to the stampede.
Several visitors have also blamed the stampede on the alleged inadequate safety arrangements made by Kolkata Police.
The Chorbagan Durga Puja, which has gained popularity in recent years and draws a large number of revellers, is located on a narrow road off Chittaranjan Avenue.
According to the family members of two of the deceased, the blowing of a whistle by private security guards at the pandal area led to a rush among the people waiting to visit the pandal, the chief minister said.
Govt to form fact-finding panel
The chief minister said police have detained Chorbagan Durga Puja organisers, private security guards, and on-duty staff for questioning.
"It is a painful incident, and we are doing whatever is required. The Chorbagan Durga Puja organisers, private security guards and on-duty staff have been detained," he said.
The entire place has been sealed and the forensic, STF and fire brigade are conducting the initial investigation, he said.
Adhikari said the government will form a fact-finding committee headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court and will act as per its recommendations.
Adhikari said that the administration's priority is to give proper treatment to the injured.
"Till now, family members of nine dead have reached here. I have spoken to them personally. Fact-finding will be done, and steps will be taken," the chief minister said.
Amit Shah’s events postponed
Adhikari said that all official programmes, including those of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have been postponed due to the tragedy.
Shah arrived in Kolkata and was scheduled to visit some Durga Puja pandals on Sunday.
Stating that the state government stands with the families of the deceased and injured, the chief minister said the Chorbagan community Durga Puja pandal has been closed.
He said that the stampede site has been handed over to the forensic department, the police STF, and the Fire Brigade for investigation.
The chief minister urged all theme-based Durga Puja organisers to ensure proper lighting at the venue and adequate entry-exit gates for the visitors.
"Many pandals are dimly lit in the name of theme puja," he said, urging the organisers to follow the advice of the authorities.
"Lives of people are more valuable than themes," he said.
Caution for other pandals
The administration has also advised several popular pandals with themes to temporarily close down the pandals. Kolkata flaunts around 3,500 such pandals during Durga Puja.
A large number of Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata and other places in the state compete with each other in making their pandals more attractive by setting up theme-based creations.
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Live Updates
- 18 Oct 2026 11:33 AM IST
Telangana BJP chief seeks probe into Kolkata stampede that killed 19
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Sunday expressed grief over the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata that killed 19 people, calling for a thorough investigation to establish accountability.
Speaking to ANI, Rao said the incident was a major tragedy and offered his condolences to the devotees who lost their lives.
"The stampede in West Bengal, in Kolkata, is a big tragedy, and I condole the deaths of the devotees there. I'm sure that the government will definitely probe the entire incident, fix responsibility on the people who are responsible for it, and take appropriate action," he said.
Rao stressed that those found responsible must face action following the investigation.
"As declared by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ji, everyone is concerned about the entire incident. A proper probe should definitely be conducted, and action must be taken against those who are responsible," he added.
- 18 Oct 2026 10:27 AM IST
Amit Shah, Bengal CM reach hospital to meet injured
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari have reached Apollo Hospital to meet those injured in the stampede.
- 18 Oct 2026 10:15 AM IST
Process to identify victims underway: Police
Kolkata Police have said that the process to identify those killed in the pandal stampede incident is underway.
- 18 Oct 2026 10:11 AM IST
Class 12 student, nurse among those killed in stampede
A Class 12 student from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district and a nurse from Hooghly were among those killed in the stampede at the Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata.
Priya Samaddar, a resident of Uttar Jogendranagar area in North 24 Parganas, was visiting Kolkata with her friends for pandal-hopping. However, the student of Tapati Balika Vidyalaya in New Barrackpore never returned home.
What was meant to be an evening of festive celebrations ended in mourning for her family and neighbours as news of Priya's death reached them.
Police officers visited her residence and spoke to her family members.
"This was the first time my daughter had gone to Kolkata for pandal-hopping. I don't know what went wrong... I received a call from the police asking me to visit Kolkata Medical College and Hospital," her father, a blouse-cutting artisan, told reporters.
"Before leaving her home, she (Priya) had reassured me saying: 'Don't worry Baba, I will return home safely'... That won't happen now," he added.
Another victim, 27-year-old Sriparna Poddar, was a resident of Baidyabati in Hooghly district.
"My daughter worked as a nurse at Tata Cancer Hospital. She had left home for work on Saturday morning and later had gone to Chorbagan with her friends," her mother, who reached Kolkata at night, said.
Sriparna's death has left her family and acquaintances devastated.
Twenty-year-old Sneha Bhandari was scheduled to get married next year. Her death in the stampede just months ahead of the scheduled wedding has left her husband-to-be, Abhishek Mondal, in a state of shock.
"I accompanied her to the pandal on Mahasaptami when rain triggered a rush among visitors. I managed to come out, but she got caught in the stampede. I could not save her," a sobbing Abhishek said.
He alleged that the exit route was blocked, trapping people inside as the crowd pushed to get out.
"I watched helplessly as Sneha fell amid the chaos and could do nothing to save her," he said.
- 18 Oct 2026 9:59 AM IST
Mismanagement, confusing announcements led to Chorbagan pandal stampede: Kolkata Police
Lack of crowd management and misleading announcements following a sudden downpour during Saptami celebrations may have triggered panic among visitors, leading to a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
Circumstantial evidence, along with accounts from locals and eyewitnesses, suggests that inadequate crowd control contributed to the incident at the pandal on Saturday evening, PTI quoted the officer as saying.
Police also found that the number of police personnel and private security guards deployed at the venue was inadequate, worsening the situation.
"We have gathered sufficient evidence pointing to gross mismanagement by the puja organisers. There was no clear plan to manage the large number of visitors, and everything was handled verbally. We have collected CCTV camera footage, recorded accounts from locals and eyewitnesses, and corroborated our findings. Security personnel were inadequate," the police officer told PTI.
"Due to the mismanagement, people tried to escape through the entrance gate during the stampede. Both the gates and the approach road were narrow, which contributed to the accident," he said, adding that announcements regarding entry, exit and crowd movement were inadequate, leaving visitors confused during the rush.
"We have video footage of an announcement asking people to leave the pandal on the grounds that the structure was about to collapse. We are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it," the officer said.
Locals also claimed that police deployment at the pandal was inadequate, alleging that personnel were mainly stationed near the VIP entrance.
A team of forensic experts visited the pandal on Saturday night and collected evidence from the site, he said.
"Another team of forensic experts will visit the pandal today to collect further evidence. Officers from our Detective Department will also visit the venue as part of the investigation," he said.
Kolkata Police is also planning to question survivors as part of the probe, the IPS officer said.
"We need first-hand accounts to cross-check the findings based on statements from locals and other eyewitnesses. This will help our investigation," he added.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads adjoining the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Sunday morning.
The order prohibits gatherings on roads surrounding the venue, which falls under the jurisdiction of Bowbazar Police Station. The restrictions will remain in force until October 20.
- 18 Oct 2026 9:53 AM IST
Case filed, 7 including organisers arrested
Seven people, including members of the organising committee, have been arrested for the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in which 19 people were killed on Saturday.
"Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the stampede incident. The arrested persons are: Raj Kumar Sewda alias Raja (48), secretary. Santanu Dubey (55), vice president Biplab Mukherjee alias Joy (48), involved in the construction of the bamboo structure. Koushik Saha (53), involved in crowd control and VIP pass checking. Pintu Dey (51), involved in crowd control. Suman Chakraborty (30), private security in-charge, and Rajesh Pal (29), private security in-charge," Kolkata Police said, according to ANI
According to Kolkata Police, a suo motu case has been registered at Girish Park Police Station under Sections 105, 110, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the organisers and others in connection with the stampede.
- 18 Oct 2026 9:47 AM IST
Amit Shah to meet injured today
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit those injured in the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on Sunday, a day after postponing his scheduled Puja programmes in the wake of the tragedy.
Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Saturday evening for a two-day West Bengal tour, is likely to visit the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital in the College Street area of central Kolkata, where several injured are undergoing treatment, officials said.
His altered official itinerary is yet to be announced.
Two of the injured pandal hoppers are also admitted at the Trauma Care Centre of the state-run SSKM Hospital, but it remains unclear whether Shah will visit them as well.
In an early morning development, 14 of the injured were shifted from Kolkata medical college and SSKM Hospital to a private facility on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.
Shah, sources said, is also likely to visit the injured undergoing treatment there.
“I have just received the extremely heartbreaking news of the stampede that occurred at the Chorbagan Public Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. I have spoken with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari regarding this matter. I pray for the peace of the souls of the devotees who lost their lives in this tragedy and express my condolences to their families,” Shah had posted on X after his arrival in Kolkata.
“The administration is ensuring that all possible medical facilities are being provided to the injured. I will postpone all my scheduled programmes in West Bengal tomorrow and visit the hospital to meet the injured. I pray to Maa Durga for the swift recovery of all the injured,” he had said on Saturday.
- 18 Oct 2026 8:47 AM IST
Police ask several major Durga Pujas in Kolkata to close pandals temporarily
Several major Durga Puja organisers across Kolkata were asked by the administration on Saturday late evening to temporarily close their pandals, hours after the stampede.
Crowd-pulling pujas like 'Tala Pratyay', 'Alipore Sarbojanin', 'Chetla Agrani', and 'Ballygunge Sarbojonin' were among the pujas asked to stop entry of enthusiasts, he said, adding that the show at Allen Park has also been cancelled.
Organisers of the Santosh Mitra Square Puja restricted entry of visitors to the pandal for the time being, puja committee president Sajal Ghosh said.
"We cannot ask every visitor to enter. And have scaled down the entry of visitors," he said
A senior Kolkata Police officer said, "Wherever we are getting the information regarding major rush, we have asked the puja organisers to stop allowing people there. This is a temporary decision, and we may take a call tomorrow."
Similarly, in Bidhannagar satellite township near here, major pujas like Salt Lake were also asked to shut down and stop allowing people to enter the pandals, a police officer said.
Several big-ticket pujas are also organised in Salt Lake.
"We have taken a call and asked puja organisers to stop allowing people inside the pandals," he said.
On Sunday, the state administration along with the Kolkata Police officers will hold a review meeting in this connection, a senior bureaucrat said.
Nearly 3,500 Durga Pujas are being held in the city.
- 18 Oct 2026 8:45 AM IST
'Saw my mother die before my eyes': Son recounts Kolkata puja pandal tragedy
"My mother died before my eyes; I too might not have survived," said 25-year-old Sonu Pal, still in shock after his mother died in the stampede at the Durga Puja pandal in the rain-soaked city on Saturday evening.
His mother was among the 19 people who died in the incident on Saturday evening. About 25 others were injured.
Pal, a resident of Kumortuli, had gone to see the puja with his mother when a sudden downpour began.
"It was raining outside, and nobody wanted to step outside. People who were standing at the entrance to escape the rain kept pushing to get in," he said.
Pal said the pressure soon became unbearable. "Unable to handle the pressure, everybody inside fell on one another," he recounted.
He said he, too, was caught in the pile-up. "I was also trapped under the crowd. I somehow managed to steady myself and went to my mother, but she was dead," Pal said.
The incident took place around 7.40 pm in the Girish Park police station area. Kolkata Police said all the injured were taken to Medical College and Hospital.
Grieving relatives of those who died in the stampede also asked who would take responsibility for the deaths.
Speaking to reporters, the family members said they had been asked to come on Sunday morning at 10 to collect the bodies.
"We will collect the body, but who will take the responsibility? Where were the police and the administration?" questioned Sunny, a neighbour of one of the victims.
Recalling the last conversation with his deceased sister, who was aged around 30, a man said he was planning her wedding.
"She is gone today. Who will take the responsibility for this?" asked Shubham Sonkar, whose sister had gone pandal hopping with family members.
"Others in the group were not hurt, but my sister is no more," he said.
Another relative alleged poor crowd management at Chorebagan compared to other puja pandals in the city.
John Rahman, a neighbour of an affected family, said the relatives were angry.
"Who will take the responsibility? Will the organisers take it, or the administration? They will have to answer," he said.
- 18 Oct 2026 8:33 AM IST
TMC takes ‘Bhaipo’ dig at CM Adhikari, targets nephew Debadeep
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has raised questions about the alleged links of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s nephew, Debadeep Adhikari, with the Chorbagan Puja committee.
In a post on X, the TMC also pointed to the involvement of other BJP leaders in the puja committee
It said a BJP MLA is also the chairman of the puja committee, while demanding accountability for the stampede and the chief minister’s resignation.
According to Anandabazar Patrika, the MLA that TMC was referring to is Bijay Ojha. The daily also said that Tamaghno Ghosh, the BJP’s North Kolkata district president, is also linked to the event’s organisation.
