Kolkata Chorbagan Stampede PHOTOS: How 19 People Died At Durga Puja Pandal? 10 Reasons Behind The Tragedy

What caused the Chorbagan stampede that killed 19 people? We look at 10 possible reasons behind this massive tragedy, from crowd mismanagement to poor pandal safety. Check the pictures for full details.

Image Credit : Asianet News

19 crushed to death in Chorbagan

A massive tragedy hit the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Maha Saptami Saturday. A stampede killed 19 people and injured many others. Kolkata has seen huge festival crowds before. The city has even celebrated Eid and Durga Puja together. But Kolkata never witnessed such a massive disaster. People are now questioning the reasons behind this tragedy. Here is a quick look at 10 possible reasons that led to the deadly stampede at Chorbagan.

Image Credit : ANI

Sudden heavy rainfall

Heavy rain suddenly started on Saturday night during the busy Maha Saptami hours. Visitors did not have umbrellas or raincoats. They panicked and rushed blindly to save themselves from getting wet. This sudden rush quickly increased the crowd pressure inside the puja pandal.

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Rushing inside the pandal for shelter

Hundreds of visitors standing in queues outside rushed inside the pandal together as soon as the rain started. The Chorbagan puja pandal was built in a very tight space. This sudden entry of people increased the crowd pressure dangerously inside the pandal.

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Narrow entry and exit gates

The entry road at Muktaram Babu Street and the pandal's exit gate were extremely narrow. These paths could not handle the massive crowd pressure. The exit gate was located in a difficult spot, making it very hard for people to leave. Many visitors also claimed that the organisers had locked the emergency exit gate.

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Part of the exit gate collapsed

A section of the exit gate structure suddenly collapsed under the extreme pressure of the pushing crowd. This collapse created severe panic among the people. The visitors started pushing each other even more after this incident.

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Confusing mic announcements and whistles

The puja committee made confusing announcements on the mic and blew whistles just before the disaster. They asked the crowd to clear the area. People thought a major danger had struck the pandal. This false alert caused extreme panic among the visitors who were taking shelter from the rain.

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Poor lighting and low visibility

The Chorbagan puja pandal already had a dark theme with very low lighting. The pandal lights suddenly dimmed further during the accident. Visitors lost their visibility completely as they entered the dark zones. This darkness spread massive fear and started the deadly stampede.

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Slippery and muddy ground

The rain turned the ground inside and around the pandal very soft, muddy, and slippery. Many people slipped and fell on the ground during the heavy pushing. They could not stand up again. Many eyewitnesses claimed that this slippery ground directly caused the stampede deaths.

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Unprofessional crowd management

The puja committee did not have any proper crowd management plan to handle the massive number of visitors. Many visitors complained that police officers were completely missing from the spot. Chorbagan won several awards this year, which attracted huge crowds. But the organisers failed to arrange proper systems to control this rush.

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Absence of volunteers

Eyewitnesses stated that no puja committee volunteers were present at the sensitive points of the pandal. The situation was getting worse after the rain started, but nobody was there to guide the visitors safely.

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Blocked emergency exit and fire rules

Initial investigations revealed that the emergency exit gate was either not working or completely blocked. People could not find any alternative way to escape during the disaster. The pandal clearly ignored basic disaster management rules.

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Government initiatives and compensation

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital and the accident spot. He announced a major relief package from the state government:

1. Help for victims' families: The government will give Rs 25 lakh as one-time compensation to the families of each person who died in the Chorbagan tragedy.
2. Government job: One eligible family member of the deceased will get a Group D government job for rehabilitation.
3. Help for the injured: The state will give Rs 5 lakh as financial help to each injured person.

Full medical expenses: The state government will bear the complete treatment cost for all injured people admitted to different hospitals.

The Prime Minister's Relief Fund will also give Rs 2 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured.