A warning that a pandal in north could collapse may have triggered panic among visitors and contributed to a stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25 on Saturday evening, police said on Sunday. Investigators are examining a video that purportedly captures the announcement at the Chorbagan pandal.
“The condition of the pandal is very bad. It will collapse. Please leave.”
LiveMint was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Kolkata Police are investigating who made the announcement, why the warning was issued and whether it prompted visitors to rush towards the exit. Preliminary findings have also pointed to possible crowd-management failures, unclear announcements and a sudden influx of visitors seeking shelter from a downpour.
West Bengal Chief Minister blamed the alleged callousness of the organisers and said the incident would be investigated. He also suggested that an announcement made by the puja committee over the microphone may have triggered the rush.
The announcement is a key piece of evidence as investigators attempt to establish the sequence of events that led to the deadly crush during Saptami celebrations.
Police are trying to identify the person who made the announcement and determine what prompted the warning. They are also examining whether visitors interpreted it as an immediate threat and rushed towards the exit, contributing to the congestion.
A senior police officer said preliminary findings indicated serious shortcomings in the arrangements made to manage the crowd.
“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,” the officer said.
Police have collected CCTV footage and recorded statements from local residents and eyewitnesses. Investigators are also assessing whether inadequate deployment of police personnel and private security guards contributed to the tragedy.
The circumstances surrounding the announcement and the response it elicited remain under investigation. Police are expected to question survivors to corroborate eyewitness accounts and reconstruct the events leading up to the stampede.
According to police, the pandal’s gates and approach road were narrow, potentially restricting the movement of visitors once panic spread. Investigators said the rush as people attempted to leave through the entrance contributed to the crush.
Inadequate announcements about entry, exit and crowd movement may have compounded the confusion, police said. The sudden arrival of people seeking shelter from the rain may also have worsened congestion.
Investigators are examining the arrangements for regulating entry, directing visitors towards exits and managing the crowd before and during the incident.
A forensic team visited the site on Saturday night to collect evidence. Another team is expected to conduct further examinations as the investigation progresses.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on roads adjoining the pandal until October 20.
The state government has announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each person killed in the stampede.
It has also constituted a panel to review safety protocols at major Durga Puja pandals and recommend immediate corrective measures wherever shortcomings are identified.
The review comes as investigators examine the crowd-management arrangements at Chorbagan and whether the announcement warning of a possible collapse played a role in triggering panic.
Of the 25 people injured in the incident, 14 were receiving treatment at a private hospital on Sunday, with three in the intensive care unit, West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission chairman Biswajit Basu said.
One of the ICU patients was in critical condition, while the other two were showing signs of improvement, Basu said.
The investigation is continuing, with CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence expected to help establish how the stampede unfolded. Police are examining whether crowd-management lapses, the announcement warning of a possible collapse, or a combination of factors contributed to the tragedy.
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