Poor crowd management and a misleading announcement during a sudden downpour may have triggered panic at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, leading to a stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
According to the officer, preliminary findings point to serious lapses in crowd control and security arrangements at the venue during Saptami celebrations on Saturday evening. Police said the number of personnel and private security guards deployed was inadequate to manage the large gathering.
Investigators have collected CCTV footage and recorded accounts from local residents and eyewitnesses. The officer said visitors attempting to flee through the entrance gate, coupled with narrow gates and a congested approach road, may have worsened the situation.
Police are also investigating an announcement heard at the venue urging visitors to leave because the pandal was allegedly about to collapse. Officers are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it. Authorities are examining whether the message contributed to the sudden panic.
A forensic team visited the site on Saturday night to collect evidence, with another team and officers from the Detective Department scheduled to continue the investigation on Sunday. Police also plan to question survivors to cross-check eyewitness accounts and establish the sequence of events.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads surrounding the pandal. The restrictions, which prohibit gatherings in the adjoining area under Bowbazar police station, will remain in force until October 20.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each person killed. He has also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court to investigate the incident.