At least 17 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata's Chorbagan locality this evening (17 October), West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.
Adhikari said 17 people were brought dead to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital following the incident, which occurred around 7:40pm.
He said an announcement by the organisers of the community Durga Puja at Chorbagan, off Chittaranjan Avenue, triggered a rush among revellers, leading to what he described as a "painful incident".
One of the injured was in critical condition, he added.
NDTV reported that the dead included 13 women and a seven-year-old child, adding that the rain, swelling crowds and a narrow exit contributed to the stampede.
According to a Kolkata Police statement, the stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) Puja Pandal in the Girish Park Police Station area amid heavy crowds and rain.
A senior police officer said rain began in the evening, prompting people waiting outside the pandal to rush forward. Some fell onto the road, triggering the crush.
Eyewitnesses describe chaos
An eyewitness told news agency ANI that many people lost consciousness amid the massive crowd.
"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 described people being trapped beneath the crowd.
"My three friends were all trapped underneath. There was no situation in which one could breathe," the eyewitness said.
Local residents helped rescue people by breaking through another section of the pandal, according to eyewitness accounts.
The injured were taken to nearby Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
Hospital sources said at least 15 people were in an extremely serious condition, with multiple injuries reported among those receiving treatment. The number of injured people being brought to the hospital continued to rise, with reports suggesting that more than 30 people had been taken there.
Police, fire brigade personnel, disaster management teams and medical teams were rushed to the scene, along with ambulances.
The pandal has been closed to visitors.
Following the incident, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs2 lakh for the family of each person killed.
He also announced Rs50,000 for each injured person.