“Pandal Is Collapsing”: The Kolkata Puja crowd scurries while being filmed, followed by an announcement

There were obvious warning signs at Kolkata’s Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal, where a stampede on Saturday nite killed 19 people, according to many recordings that have since surfaced. “Stop. Don’t approach close the pandal,” the announcement says to anyone attempting to enter. It’s falling apart!” To avoid the rain and to get in before the gates probably close, individuals attempting to enter push the lengthy line forward.

People are reportedly under tremendous pressure from both sides as a result, with some at the entry gate insisting on entering the pandal while others are refusing to leave. A video by a social media influencer has her describing the scene: “There is no space! There’s no crowd management.” She also mentions a “VIP lane” in which “people are easily getting in”.

Another 49-second video, captured by a man in the throng using a phone, shows dozens of people confined to a small, covered, barred path with a low roof. Women and children are heard pleading for assistance. With no space to maneuver, people are crammed chest to back and shoulder to shoulder. Some are even spotted gripping the wall to keep from collapsing. A sizable crowd is seen streaming into the pandal in another video, some of them racing through the rain with umbrellas.

Witnesses reportedly reported that the queue was “90 minutes long” at the historically significant puja in the North Kolkata neighborhood, where alleys are tight, and that there was unexpectedly strong rain and little lighting. Due to Saptami and the fact that it was a Saturday, the crowds had increased.

A senior police officer has said investigators were examining a video in which the announcer could be heard saying the pandal was about to collapse. “We are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it,” the officer told a news agency.

“We have gathered sufficient evidence pointing to gross mismanagement by the puja organisers. There was no clear plan to manage the large number of visitors, and everything was handled verbally. We have collected CCTV camera footage, recorded accounts from locals and eyewitnesses, and corroborated our findings. Security personnel were inadequate,” the officer said.

He claimed that in the midst of the rush, individuals were left perplexed by the inadequate notifications directing guests on entry, exit, and crowd movement. He noted that neither the gate nor the approach road outside the pandal were large enough to accommodate the unexpected surge of people.

After visiting the wounded at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Chief Minister Adhikari told media, “According to initial reports by the officials at the spot, the incident occurred owing to an announcement on the loudspeaker by the puja organisers.”

“Initial input from the ACP [Assistant Commissioner of Police] who was present on the spot says that this thing was triggered after an announcement by a private security agency and the blowing of some whistles,” he later said . Family members of two of the victims said private guards blowing whistles near the pandal had set off a rush among those waiting to enter, Adhikari said.

For the families of those deceased, the chief minister pledged government jobs and compensation of Rs 25 lakh. Additionally, he declared that the incident would be investigated by a fact-finding team led by a sitting high court judge.  In the midst of intense rain, the stampede started about 7:40 p.m. Among the 19 dead were two children and thirteen women. Three of the twenty-five injured individuals were admitted to the intensive care unit, and one of them was in severe condition.