Hyderabad: Seven people have been arrested following a crowd crush at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata that reportedly killed 19 people and injured 25 on Saturday evening.
The incident took place around 7.30 pm amid rainfall and heavy footfall. Investigators are examining crowd-control arrangements, the movement of visitors through entry and exit points, and an announcement made shortly before the crush. The exact sequence of events and responsibility for the deaths have not yet been established.
The seven arrested include the secretary and vice-president of the puja committee, a person involved in constructing the bamboo structure, two people assigned crowd-management duties and two private-security supervisors. Kolkata Police have registered a suo motu case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other alleged offences. Fourteen other police personnel have been detained for questioning.
A Bankshall court has remanded the seven accused to police custody until October 28. The officer-in-charge of Girish Park police station has also been removed, while Detective Department inspector Hirak Dalapati has been given additional charge of the station.
Preliminary accounts suggest that sudden rainfall, overcrowding, narrow access routes and inadequate deployment of volunteers and police may have contributed to the incident. Investigators are also examining whether an announcement and whistles blown by private-security personnel triggered the rush.
A microphone warning about a possible collapse may have caused panic, though the circumstances that triggered the crush remain under investigation.
A special investigation team will examine possible lapses by the organisers, private-security personnel and authorities responsible for permissions and safety arrangements.
The West Bengal government has announced Rs 25 lakh in compensation and a government job for the family of each person killed. Each injured person will receive Rs 5 lakh, along with treatment expenses and other assistance.
The All India Trinamool Congress has alleged shortcomings in policing, crowd control, the deployment of civic volunteers, ambulance availability and emergency arrangements at the venue.
(With agency inputs)