‘People fainted, carried away on bikes’: Eyewitnesses recount Kolkata Puja pandal chaos

The incident occurred at around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) Puja pandal, which falls under the Girish Park Police Station area. Police said the situation arose due to a heavy crowd of pandal visitors amid rainfall. 

Several people were injured in a stampede-like situation at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening, with eyewitnesses describing scenes of confusion as visitors struggled amid heavy crowds and rainfall. According to Kolkata Police, around 35 people had been shifted to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital (MCH) for treatment as of the latest update.

The incident occurred at around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) Puja pandal, which falls under the Girish Park Police Station area. Police said the situation arose due to a heavy crowd of pandal visitors amid rainfall. The pandal was subsequently closed to visitors and evacuated, while the injured were rescued and taken to hospital.

An eyewitness described how people who lost consciousness were carried away on motorcycles as the situation unfolded.

“Many people lost consciousness; some were being taken on motorcycles. I witnessed this happening all around—when people fainted, they were taken away on bikes. All of this took place, and there was a massive crowd as well,” the eyewitness said.

Another eyewitness said it was too early to understand what had happened.

“I still haven’t been able to understand what happened, so I can’t comment on the incident at this point,” the eyewitness said.

A woman whose daughter and granddaughter were hospitalised pointed to the narrow entrance and exit, as well as a lack of lighting in the area.

“The entrance was very narrow, and the exit gate was also narrow. There was no lighting in the area. My daughter and granddaughter are hospitalised,” she said.

Injured Taken To Kolkata Medical College

Kolkata Police said all injured people had been rescued and shifted to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital for treatment. According to sources, several visitors were brought to the hospital’s emergency department, where treatment was under way.

Senior officials from Kolkata Police and the Fire Brigade rushed to the pandal following the incident. The West Bengal government also issued a toll-free helpline for people seeking information about the accident.

The government asked people to call 18003455678 for updates related to the incident.

Kunal Ghosh Says Rescue Efforts Are Priority

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh described the incident as deeply unfortunate and said the immediate priority was to save those affected.

“A very unfortunate incident has occurred at the Chor Bagan Puja in North Kolkata. The process of bringing some of the devotees who were there to the Medical College is ongoing. How this incident happened or why, all that comes later, but our priority is to save people,” Ghosh said.

He appealed to the police administration to ensure cooperation in rescue efforts and called for more medical staff at hospitals.

“We request the police administration; our workers are cooperating. The number of medical staff in hospitals should be increased. We are cooperating with the police. Relief and rescue operations still need to be carried out inside the pandal,” he said.

Ghosh added that he was keeping track of the situation and called the incident particularly unfortunate during the festive period.

West Bengal Governor Expresses Grief

West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi expressed sorrow over the loss of lives reported in the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured,” he said.

The incident took place on Saptami, when large numbers of devotees visit Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata. Heavy rainfall and a surge of people attempting to enter and leave the Chorbagan pandal added to the difficult conditions.

The pandal has been evacuated and closed to visitors as the authorities respond to the incident.

(With agencies' inputs)

Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.