At least 17 killed in stampede at a religious festival in India's Kolkata, NDTV reports
Heavy rain and a crowd surge at the pandal left 17 dead and dozens injured, officials said, prompting hospital admissions and a police investigation.
- On Saturday, October 17, 2026, a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata killed at least 17 people and injured 25 others amid heavy rainfall and large crowds.
- Sudden heavy rain prompted crowds to rush for shelter, while an announcement by private security guards allegedly caused commotion and panic within the narrow approaches to the pandal.
- Following the incident, police closed the pandal to visitors and detained puja organizers, while rescue teams shifted injured visitors to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 200,000 rupees for the next of kin of each deceased, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah postponed his scheduled West Bengal programs to visit the injured.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formed a high-level committee to review safety protocols, including exit routes and lighting, across major pandals during the remaining Durga Puja festival days.
157 Articles
157 Articles
A stampede during Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata killed 19 people. Heavy rain and limited access highlighted in the investigation.
At least nineteen people have died at a festival in the Indian city of Kolkata after panic broke out in the crowd. Twenty-five people were also injured. According to local media, panic erupted at the exit after a misleading announcement was made, according to the Premier of the state of West Bengal. The victims are mainly women and children. It is possible that people were standing close together at that moment to shelter from the rain, causing…
Sudden downpour caused panic and a crowd of thousands of devotees – About 20 injured, condolences from Narendra Modi
19 dead, 25 hurt in stampede at India religious festival
At least 19 people were killed and two dozen more injured on Saturday in eastern India after a stampede that occurred during sudden rainfall at a Hindu religious gathering, officials and Indian media said. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion “in a stampede” at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata…
At least 35 injured in a stampede during a massive Hindu party in Calcutta At least 35 people were injured this Saturday in a stampede during Durga Puja celebrations, one of India's leading Hindu festivities, in the eastern city of Calcutta, the Police reported. Stamped by Durga Puja holiday ... Continue reading "At least 35 injured in a stampede during a massive Hindu party in Calcutta"
The Seattle Times
INTELLINEWS17 dead, dozens injured after stampede at Indian religious event
The state’s chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, told local news media that a loudspeaker announcement by the event’s organizers may have contributed to the rush.
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