Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh on Sunday called on Durga Puja organisers to put proper crowd-management arrangements in place to avert further stampedes.
His appeal followed Saturday evening’s tragedy at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, where a surge of visitors amid rain left 19 people dead and 25 injured.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said the crush was likely triggered by an overwhelming influx of people.
"The Chorbagan incident is deeply distressing. People have been visiting pandals for years, but such an incident had never happened before. Large celebrations draw lakhs of people; such tragedies should never happen," he said.
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"Organisers must ensure crowd safety. Puja committees must take preventive measures in consultation with police to ensure crowd circulation. The state government is doing everything to ensure proper treatment of those injured," he added.