At least 17 killed in stampede at Durga Puja gathering in Kolkata

At least 17 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja gathering in north Kolkata, in India's West Bengal state, officials said. The incident happened on Saturday evening at a temporary pavilion, or pandal, where worshippers had gathered for the Hindu festival. Police said heavy crowds and rainfall contributed to the crush.

A seven-year-old girl was among those killed, according to the state chief minister. Officials said six of the bodies had so far been identified. Police said the injured were taken to hospital after the stampede, which broke out as people were waiting outside the pandal.

A senior police official at the scene said an announcement caused commotion after it started raining, and that people waiting outside began pushing, pulling and rushing forward before falling to the ground. The police statement said the crush happened in the evening amid heavy crowds of festival-goers. The state government and police have not yet given a full public account of the sequence of events.

The disaster has drawn attention because Durga Puja is one of the largest religious festivals in eastern India and regularly attracts large crowds to temporary shrines across Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal. Crowd management at major religious gatherings has long been a concern in India, where stampedes have repeatedly caused deaths and injuries at mass events. The latest incident adds to that wider pattern and raises questions about safety arrangements at densely attended festival sites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as saddening and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He said the West Bengal government was providing all possible help to affected families. His office also announced compensation of 200,000 rupees for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees for each injured person.

Interior Minister Amit Shah said the administration was ensuring that all possible medical facilities were being provided to the injured. It remains unclear whether any formal inquiry has been announced or whether additional safety measures will be introduced at other festival sites in the state. Officials have not yet said whether the crowding was linked to a specific programme or announcement at the pandal.

The full death toll and the condition of the injured may still change as hospitals continue treatment and identification work continues.

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