UPDATED: Oct 18, 2026 16:09 IST
Visuals captured moments before a deadly Durga Puja stampede in North Kolkata have come under scrutiny as police and a special task force investigate the incident that claimed 19 lives. The tragedy unfolded between 7:15 PM and 7:30 PM at a puja pandal located in the narrow lanes of Chorbagan. Preliminary details indicate that sudden heavy rainfall prompted hundreds of devotees to rush inside the pandal for shelter, while visitors already inside were reluctant to exit into the rain. The resulting congestion, compounded by narrow entry and exit points, darkness, and alleged lapses in crowd control by local home guards, triggered severe panic and chaos. Investigators are currently examining photographs, videos, and social media reels recorded by visitors inside the pandal to reconstruct the exact sequence of events, verify crowd management protocols, and determine accountability for the fatal disaster.
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