Relatives of victims killed in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal gather outside a mortuary, in Kolkata, on October 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Lack of crowd management and misleading announcements following a sudden downpour during Saptami celebrations may have triggered panic among visitors, leading to a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, a senior police officer said on Sunday (October 18, 2026).
Circumstantial evidence, along with accounts from locals and eyewitnesses, suggests that inadequate crowd control contributed to the incident at the pandal on Saturday (October 17, 2026) evening, he said.
Kolkata pandal stampede LIVE updates
Police also found that the number of police personnel and private security guards deployed at the venue was inadequate, worsening the situation.
“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 police officer told PTI.
“Due to the mismanagement, people tried to escape through the entrance gate during the stampede. Both the gates and the approach road were narrow, which contributed to the accident,” he said, adding that announcements regarding entry, exit and crowd movement were inadequate, leaving visitors confused during the rush.
A list of major stampedes in India
“We have video footage of an announcement asking people to leave the pandal on the grounds that the structure was about to collapse. We are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it,” the officer said.
Locals also claimed that police deployment at the pandal was inadequate, alleging that personnel were mainly stationed near the VIP entrance.
A team of forensic experts visited the pandal on Saturday night and collected evidence from the site, he said.
“Another team of forensic experts will visit the pandal today to collect further evidence. Officers from our Detective Department will also visit the venue as part of the investigation,” he said.
Kolkata Police is also planning to question survivors as part of the probe, the IPS officer said.
“We need first-hand accounts to cross-check the findings based on statements from locals and other eyewitnesses. This will help our investigation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads adjoining the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Sunday morning.
The order prohibits gatherings on roads surrounding the venue, which falls under the jurisdiction of Bowbazar Police Station. The restrictions will remain in force until October 20.
Nineteen people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at the pandal on Saturday evening, following a surge in the crowd amid rain.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state government would provide Rs 25 lakh in compensation and a Group D government job to the family of each deceased victim.
He also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, to investigate the incident.
Published – October 18, 2026 10:05 am IST
