At least 17 killed in stampede at a religious festival in India's Kolkata, NDTV reports
Police said rain and crowd surges caused the stampede, and investigators are reviewing crowd-control lapses after 25 people were injured.
- On Saturday evening, a crowd surge during heavy rainfall at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata killed 19 people and injured 25 others in a devastating stampede.
- Heavy rain prompted revellers to push for shelter at the pandal entrance, with eyewitnesses and locals attributing the crush to inadequate crowd management and confusing announcements by organisers.
- Kolkata Police arrested seven individuals, including puja committee secretary Raj Kumar Sewda and private security in-charges, while the West Bengal government announced Rs 25 lakh and a government job for each deceased family.
- Authorities temporarily ordered major pandals including Tala Pratyay to close, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah postponed his scheduled West Bengal programmes to visit injured patients at hospitals.
- Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita , 2023, prohibits unlawful assemblies in the Bowbazar area through October 20, as officials launched safety reviews of all major Durga Puja pandals to prevent recurrence.
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347 Articles
Nineteen dead, 25 hurt in stampede at gathering in India
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 Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year
In the Indian million city of Kolkata mass panic broke out on Saturday evening (local time) at a religious festival. 19 people were killed, 25 others were taken to a hospital with injuries. Indian media reported a "misleading announcement".
In the northern part of Indian Calcutta, people died at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja on Saturday night because of the pressure.
The tragedy once again places the focus on mass pilgrimages in the most populous country in the world, where millions of faithful seek the help of the gods to marry, emigrate or overcome everyday problems Read
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
17 dead, dozens injured after stampede at Indian religious event
At least 17 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu religious event in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Saturday, officials said, the latest episode in a persistent public safety problem for India.
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