UPDATED: Oct 18, 2026 16:15 IST
A tragic stampede at Kolkata's Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal claimed the lives of 19 people and left at least 25 injured. The incident took place following a heavy rainstorm that triggered a rush as visitors sought cover, creating a severe bottleneck near the exit gate where people slipped, fell, and were trampled. Police arrested seven individuals, including puja committee organisers and private security personnel. Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari announced a fact-finding committee and a special task force to investigate the lapses, alongside detaining officials and securing CCTV and forensic evidence. All official puja celebrations were cancelled following the tragedy. The incident has sparked a political clash, with Trinamool Congress demanding the Chief Minister's resignation, alleging administrative failure and compromised public safety due to VIP security arrangements. Congress leaders also demanded accountability regarding municipal and police clearances, while the state government confirmed ongoing medical care and post-mortem procedures.
Read More
LATEST VIDEOS
Durga Puja Tragedy: Visuals Before Kolkata Pandal Stampede Under Police Lens
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.
Kolkata Pandal Stampede Kills 19, TMC Targets BJP Over Lapses and Police Inaction
A tragic pandal collapse and subsequent stampede in Kolkata's Chorbagan has resulted in 19 deaths, sparking a massive political confrontation. The Trinamool Congress has targeted the administration over crowd management, security lapses, and an inadequate emergency response, alleging a severe shortage of ambulances and police personnel on site. Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee questioned the role of the chief minister's nephew, who was listed as the chief patron of the pandal, demanding accountability and arrests. Meanwhile, spokesperson Kunal Ghosh demanded the resignation or dismissal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, accusing the puja committee of being compromised and raising concerns that key culprits remaining outside prison could influence the ongoing investigation into the fatal disaster.
Video: Car spins out of control, crashes into divider on UP expressway; 2 dead
Two people were killed, and three others were injured after the car they were travelling in crashed into a divider on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district. The incident took place at around 9 am on Friday, October 16. While all five occupants of the car were initially injured, two of them succumbed to their injuries later. The remaining three are undergoing treatment. The bodies of the two people who died have been sent for post-mortem examination, and police are carrying out the necessary legal formalities in connection with the incident. The driver apparently lost control of the car while manoeuvring a turn on the expressway.
Row Over Regime Change Heats Up; BJP Slams Protests; Congress Defends Agitation
A fierce political war of words has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over escalating protests and allegations of attempts at regime change. The ruling party has accused Rahul Gandhi and the Cockroach Janata Party of functioning as tools of global forces aiming to incite anarchy, destabilise the country, and undermine constitutional institutions. Ministers also hit out at protest leaders for questioning the Election Commission of India and the judiciary, maintaining that democratic governments in India are elected through ballots rather than street agitation. Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress leader B K Hariprasad defended backing demonstrations against the Modi government to safeguard democracy and the Constitution, before clarifying that state funds were not being allocated for the protests. Defending the opposition, Congress leader K C Venugopal emphasised that democratic administrations change exclusively via free and fair elections, alleging that the ruling party is seeking institutional control to hold on to power.