'Pandal Collapsing' Announcement Caused Panic: Eyewitness On Kolkata Stampede

A loudspeaker warning people to leave the pandal was suspected to have triggered the stampede in a North Kolkata neighbourhood that killed 19 on Saturday. However, more details have emerged that added more angles on what exactly or whether a combination of factors led to one of the biggest tragedies in the city in recent times.

Now, a video recorded right before the stampede happened at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in the northern part of the crowded city, which NDTV has accessed, has raised troubling questions on the crowd management methods used by the organisers of the pandal.

The streets were narrow. Residents said they were not safe enough to handle the kind of crowds that turned up there to see the decorations at the pandal.

In such a situation, the loudspeaker warning would have driven hundreds into those narrow lanes. Such a warning would have had to be supported by a robust crowd management system which should have been in place, residents said.

"No one should come near the pavilion, it's collapsing. The pavilion has broken apart. Get out, everyone... get out... the pavilion is in a very bad state," the voice in the loudspeaker said.

In the past too, crowds in Chorbagan have occasionally become unmanageable, forcing pandal organisers to stop people from entering to see the idols of Goddess Durga. During those moments swift police intervention to keep things under control had likely averted a possible tragedy.

The latest incident, however, indicated that a well-planned crowd management system had been missing, according to eyewitnesses. Whether this was due to bad planning by an "inexperienced" Durga Puja committee is a question that would have to be visited eventually during the investigation.

Eyewitnesses said the loudspeaker announcement came just as pushing and shoving began at the pandal amid a sudden rain.

The video that NDTV accessed indeed showed crowds stuck at the pandal while a voice in the background warned them the place could collapse any moment.

"I must say there was some negligence on the part of our committee. This situation has arisen precisely because of that negligence," Runu Das, a woman who saw the incident unfold right before her eyes, told NDTV.

"What kind of a pandal did you set up - one that would collapse? Why would it collapse? They ought to have known that as many as a thousand people could enter the pandal at once. There was even an announcement that the pandal  would collapse - this was no mere rumour," she said.

"Such an announcement was indeed made while we were still inside our house. Suddenly, I heard someone say that the pandal at Chorbagan was going to collapse. I rushed outside and saw a girl with a split head, bleeding profusely," she added.

While those inside the pandal turned to get out, many waiting outside had walked in to avoid getting wet in the rain. This would have created extreme pressure from both ends, with people not exiting while those at the entry gate insist on getting inside the pandal.

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case so far.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said the police have performed their duty well and any allegation of negligence will be investigated. He has asked all Durga Puja pandal organisers to ensure proper lighting and enough entry and exit gates at their venues.

"Many pandals are dimly lit in the name of themes... Lives of people are more valuable than themes," he had said.