On Saturday, October 17, 2026, at around 7:40 PM, a tragedy struck Kolkata during the festive season. A severe stampede and partial structural collapse took place at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal in North Kolkata. With 35 people injured, the death toll in this tragedy has risen to 19 fatalities, including the majority of women and children. Let’s understand the incident, casualties, the official probe, and more.
Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede
Chorbagan Pandal Stampede
Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal in North Kolkata is known as one of the city’s most popular and oldest Durga Puja pandals. The pandal, located in a narrow by-lane off Central Avenue, featured severely narrow entrance and exit gates.
On Saturday (Saptami), a massive crowd had gathered to visit the popular pandal. Around 7:40 PM, heavy rainfall and lightning struck North Kolkata; hence, a large number of people rushed forward to seek shelter or move toward a narrow exit gate. While more and more people were trying to seek shelter, those who were already inside refused to leave due to the rainfall.
As the two massive crowds collided, the organizers made an announcement. They claimed the pandal structure was on the verge of collapsing and urged people to evacuate the pandal immediately.
This misleading announcement caused panic among the people, which led them to take an immediate exit from the narrow pathways. While 35 people sustained serious injuries, about 19 people lost their lives. The injured were rushed to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and SSKM Super Speciality Hospital. (As per The Times of India)
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Kolkata Stampede Latest Update
Eyewitnesses and initial reports claimed that the massive crowd surge, heavy rainfall, a misleading announcement and a narrow pathway to entry or exit led to the stampede. They claimed the police deployment at the pandal was inadequate, and the police officers were mainly stationed near the VIP entrance.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for this incident. This special team will be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
Kolkata Police have arrested seven people, including puja organisers. They have also filed a suo motu case for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The site has been sealed and handed over to forensic teams and the Special Task Force (STF). The General Secretary of the Chorbagan committee, Jayanta Banerjee, alongside all other office-bearers, resigned from their posts. (As per The Hindu).
He has also announced INR 25 lakh in compensation and a Group-D government job for the family of each deceased victim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his grief and announced INR 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and INR 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister Relief Fund. (As per The Times of India).
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Summing Up
With so many people killed and injured during this incident, the government is currently conducting an investigation and will soon let out their findings. The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal in North Kolkata is now closed to visitors. The traditional rituals will be carried out by the priests inside the pandal.
