Nineteen killed in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, seven arrested

18 October 2026

A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbajanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata killed at least 19 people and injured 25. Kolkata Police arrested seven people, including the secretary and vice president of the puja committee, two security in-charges and a person in charge of construction work; 14 people had been detained. A suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was registered at the Girish Park Police Station. Police said the stampede happened in the evening because of heavy crowds of pandal hoppers amid rainfall. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, said a special investigation team headed by a judge of the state High Court would look into the disaster, and that a seven-year-old girl was among the dead. The Prime Minister's Office announced 2 lakh rupees for the next of kin of each person who died and 50,000 rupees for each injured person. About 3,500 Durga Puja pavilions had been set up across Kolkata, and several of the most heavily attended were asked to close temporarily.