Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede Kills at Least 19 as Rain Sends Crowd Running
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At least 19 people died in a stampede at a Durga Puja event in Kolkata on Saturday night, officials said, according to ABC News. Earlier reports from the BBC put the toll at at least 17. A state investigation has been ordered, and police have detained some people involved in running the event.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 25 injured people were receiving treatment. He visited Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where victims were taken.
What happened at the pavilion
Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga. ABC News reported that a crowd near a pavilion ran for cover when rain began. Police told the outlet that some worshippers fell on the road, which set off the stampede.
Witnesses told the BBC the sudden rainfall prompted a surge of people seeking shelter. A senior police official told the AFP news agency that an announcement caused commotion once the rain started. According to that official, the crowd pushed and rushed forward, and people fell to the ground. Reports have not fully reconciled these accounts, and the cause is now part of the official inquiry.
Who the victims were
Adhikari said a seven-year-old girl was among the dead, according to the BBC. He said six of the victims had been identified. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “tragic” and said the regional government was helping affected families.
The investigation
Adhikari announced a Special Investigation Team to be headed by a judge of the state’s High Court, ABC News reported. Police detained some pavilion organizers, private security personnel and on-duty staff. They have opened a probe into possible lapses in crowd control and safety.
Why it matters for festival-goers and residents
The festival is still under way across the city. ABC News reported that around 3,500 pavilions, known locally as pandals, have been set up across Kolkata. After the stampede, authorities advised several of the city’s most heavily attended venues to close temporarily to visitors.
Some of the busiest sites may therefore be shut to the public while the inquiry continues. The sources do not say how long the closures will last or which venues are affected.
The investigation will also examine whether organizers and security staff handled the crowd properly. The detentions suggest authorities are looking at the conduct of those who ran the event as well as the weather.
A recurring danger at religious gatherings
Deadly crowd incidents at religious festivals are not uncommon in India, the BBC noted, citing poor management and a lack of adequate safety precautions. ABC News said crowds, sometimes in the millions, gather in confined areas with few safety or crowd-control measures.
Both outlets pointed to earlier disasters:
- In January 2025, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, according to ABC News.
- The BBC reported that two years ago, 121 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh during a Hindu religious gathering.
- In 2013, at least 115 pilgrims at a temple festival in Madhya Pradesh were crushed to death or drowned after panic over fears that a bridge would collapse, ABC News reported.
What happens next
The Special Investigation Team led by a High Court judge is expected to examine what led to the stampede. Police are continuing their own probe into crowd control and safety. Officials have not said when either inquiry will report its findings. The death toll could change as more information emerges, since the injured are still being treated.
