Kolkata Durga Puja stampede toll rises to 19; sitting HC judge to probe incident

The death toll in the stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata rose to 19 on Saturday (October 17, 2026), with two more deaths reported. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 17 people were brought dead to Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, while a child died at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and another person died while being taken to a private healthcare facility.

Mr. Adhikari said an investigation would be conducted under a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court to determine the circumstances that led to the incident. The Kolkata Police have obtained CCTV footage from Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab and will investigate the role of those responsible for crowd management on Saturday (October 17) evening.

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“We are looking at the CCTV when the accident occurred at the Durga Puja Pandal. Those who failed to control the crowd, we will take action against them,” he said.

Mr. Adhikari said the police had granted permission for the pandal. He added that he would write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking the appointment of a sitting judge to oversee a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the incident. According to preliminary reports, the stampede broke out after the organisers allegedly made a misleading announcement over a microphone asking people to leave the pandal, claiming that the structure could collapse at any moment. Private security personnel engaged by the organisers also allegedly blew whistles, adding to the panic. A large number of people had taken shelter inside the pandal after it began to rain.

The Kolkata Police are questioning 12 people detained in connection with the incident, including organisers and volunteers. The police said the stampede occurred around 7.40 p.m. on Saturday (October 17) at the exit gate of the Chorbagan pandal amid a heavy rush of visitors during the rain.

The State government has announced compensation of ₹25 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and a job for one member of each bereaved family. Those injured will receive financial assistance of ₹5 lakh. Of the deceased, 13 were women, three were men and one was a child, according to doctors. Two of those killed were from Bihar. Around 24 people were injured in the stampede, several of whom were shifted to private healthcare facilities.

The Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal, themed ‘Arava’ (‘Beyond Sound’), had been attracting large crowds but has been closed following the stampede.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Saturday evening, cancelled his scheduled programmes and was likely to visit the injured. In a social media post, Mamata Banerjee-backed Trinamool Congress alleged that a relative of Chief Minister Debdeep Adhikari was associated with the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee where the stampede occurred.

Mr. Adhikari urged Durga Puja organisers to ensure adequate safety arrangements and proper lighting inside pandals for the remaining days of the festival.

Durga Puja will continue until Wednesday (October 21). According to the West Bengal Government, around 57,400 Durga Pujas are being organised across the State.