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.
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On Saturday, 17 people were killed and 25 injured by a defensive incident during a festival in Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal, in eastern India.
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The Straits Times19 Dead, 25 Hurt In Stampede At India Religious Gathering
A senior police official at the scene told AFP an announcement caused "commotion" after it started raining at night and the "crowd waiting outside the pandal (pavilion) was pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede."
Calcutta, India.- At least 17 people died and 25 others were injured on Saturday in eastern India after a stampede probably caused by sudden rains during a Hindu religious celebration, according to authorities. The head of government of West Bengal State, Suvendhu Adhikari, told the press that among those killed was a seven-year-old girl. 25 other people were injured during the incident at the Hindu festival in Durga Puja, in the city of Calcutt…
Deadly crowd at one of India's most important Hindu festivals: At least 17 people died on Saturday in Calcutta.
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