Kolkata stampede: Ropes dropped, one exit, warnings that led to panic

Only one exit, narrow lanes, inexperienced volunteers, rain and ill-timed announcements by organisers: It was this potent mix of security gaps that culminated in the stampede that led to 19 deaths at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja in Kolkata, The Indian Express has learnt.

So far, seven people have been arrested and charged under BNS sections 105 and 110, related to culpable homicide, and section 3(5) on common intent, which aims to hold all co-accused equally liable. Those arrested include Raj Kumar Sewda (48), secretary of the puja committee, and Santanu Dubey (55), its vice-president. All the accused have been sent to police custody for 10 days. Of the 25 injured, two are in ICU, officials said.

Located in North Kolkata near the Burrabazar area, Chorbagan Sarbojanin, like most Durga Pujas in the area, is surrounded by narrow lanes and bylanes. Over the past three days, police sources said, the puja saw a huge rush of people, with police barricades breached at least 10 times on Friday alone, a day before the stampede at around 7.40 pm on Saturday.

(L-R) Relatives of deceased Sriparna Poddar from Baidyabati, Hooghly at Calcutta Medical College and hospital and Injured Sayantika Ghosh, coming out from medical College and hospital (Express photo by Partha Paul)

According to police sources, the pandal had only one exit gate. “The organisers did not review the security situation adequately and no additional manpower was also sought from Kolkata Police. The police, too, did not review the situation,” the sources said.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government is planning to form a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident, which will not include representatives from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Fire Services and Kolkata Police.

“The Chief Secretary will write a letter to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to allow a sitting judge to head the probe. If not, a retired judge will head the probe. The role of police officers and Fire department officials will be probed. We have asked for a list of the temporary Home Guard personnel posted in the pandal. Their role will be probed,” Adhikari said. Later, Sumit Kumar Ghosh, the officer in charge of the Girish Park police station, under which Chorbagan Durga Puja falls, was transferred.

The Kolkata Police, meanwhile, said they have already launched a formal investigation into the incident. “An internal inquiry into the incident has been initiated. CCTV footage is being examined for this purpose. Additionally, all crucial aspects are being looked into, including the entry and exit routes of the pandal, emergency exit arrangements, preparedness and availability of medical facilities,” said Additional CP (Crime) Kunal Agarwal.

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Officials said the Fire Services has stepped up safety audits for high-footfall pandals in Kolkata, issuing compliance notices to prominent committees following inspections by a high-powered government review team.

At Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja, local residents said, visitors had to enter through a dark, enclosed corridor constructed with heavy iron rods and a tight mesh, resembling a cage. The statue of Goddess Durga was initially veiled behind thick bars, becoming clearer and brighter only as visitors navigated the dimly lit pathway toward larger openings. While the concept aimed to symbolise how dark phases needed to be negotiated to reach true enlightenment, several visitors later said the execution left them “feeling trapped and claustrophobic”.

Then, amid a heavy downpour in the evening, thousands of visitors surged forward to seek shelter. Instead of regulating the flow, volunteers dropped the control ropes and fled inside, leaving the entrance unchecked. “The crowd was separated by a rope. As the rain came, they dropped the rope,” the Chief Minister said.

“As incoming crowds packed into the already overcrowded space, visitors who had just stepped out turned back to escape the rain, trapping hundreds inside,” police sources said.

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Moreover, the sources said, the organisers broadcast announcements warning visitors that the structure was unsafe and might collapse at any moment. “Rather than evacuating the area in an orderly manner, their warnings triggered widespread panic,” they said.

Ram Sarkar, husband of Arti Sarkar Biswas, who was among those who died, said they had been “waiting in queue for nearly two hours when it started raining”. “As we moved toward the pandal, the volunteers suddenly let go of the control ropes, causing a massive surge. People rushed in from both sides, and everyone collapsed on top of us near the exit. It took me 20 minutes just to pull my wife out. I performed CPR immediately, but she couldn’t be saved. I kept screaming for an ambulance, but there were no police officers to manage the crowd,” Sarkar said.

Nunu Das, a local resident who was part of the initial group of rescuers, said they were “pulling people out without even knowing who was alive or dead”. “Many were bleeding from the nose. Since the lanes are so narrow, we had to carry the bodies in our arms and walk for about eight minutes just to reach the main road,” Das said.

“The primary crowd management was left to local volunteers and private security guards with no experience handling major festival crowds. Despite temporary police Home Guards being deployed, local residents reported that they abandoned their posts at the entry gates to seek shelter inside the pandal when the rain started,” the police sources said.

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Another local resident attributed the unprecedented turnout to “social media promotion”.

Chief Minister Adhikari said the “process of handing over the bodies of the victims has started”. “One of the deceased is from Bihar and the rest from different parts of West Bengal. I will visit the families at their homes,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said the government has stepped up protective measures at pandals across the state. “We held a meeting with DMs and SPs of all districts virtually. Learning lessons from the tragedy, the police have been directed to visit puja pandals, especially those with themes and huge footfalls. Steps will be taken to ensure that proper arrangements are made,” he said.