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At least 19 people have been killed and 25 others injured in a stampede during a Hindu religious festival in eastern India, officials have said.
The incident took place in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, on Saturday night during Durga Puja, an annual Hindu festival celebrating the goddess Durga. The stampede occurred when a crowd gathered near a pavilion rushed to find shelter as rain began to fall.
According to police, several worshippers fell onto the road and were trampled by the crowd.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where the victims were taken for treatment. He confirmed that 19 people had died and 25 others were receiving medical care.
Adhikari told reporters that a seven-year-old girl was among those who lost their lives in the disaster.
He also announced that a special investigation team, led by a judge from the state’s high court, would investigate the incident and establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Police detained several people, including pavilion organisers, private security personnel and staff members who were on duty at the time. An investigation has also been launched into possible failures in crowd management and safety arrangements.
Authorities said the injured people had been taken to hospital from a Durga Puja pandal, a temporary structure built to house idols of the goddess Durga. The festival attracts thousands of worshippers and visitors.
In a statement, police said the stampede occurred in the evening as “heavy crowds of pandal hoppers amid rainfall” gathered at the venue.
A senior police official at the scene told the AFP news agency that an announcement triggered confusion after the rain began. The official said the crowd waiting outside the pavilion started pushing, pulling and rushing forward before people fell to the ground, resulting in the stampede.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “saddening” and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“Condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The West Bengal Government is providing all possible help to the affected families,” Modi wrote in a post on X.
The prime minister’s office announced financial compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,106) for the next of kin of each person who died. Those injured in the incident will receive 50,000 rupees ($527) each.
Interior Minister Amit Shah said the authorities were working to ensure that all necessary medical facilities were made available to the injured.
Around 3,500 Durga Puja pavilions have been established across Kolkata for the festival. Following the stampede, authorities advised several of the city’s busiest venues to close temporarily to visitors as a precaution.
Deadly crowd-related incidents occur frequently during large public gatherings in India, particularly at religious festivals. Poor crowd management, overcrowding and failures in safety arrangements are often cited as contributing factors.
Last year, a stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela religious gathering killed 30 people and injured several others. In Bengaluru, 11 cricket fans were crushed to death during celebrations after the local team secured its first Indian Premier League title.
In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, 36 people were killed in a stampede at a campaign rally organised for a popular actor-turned-politician.
In another major tragedy in 2024, 121 people died in a stampede during a Hindu religious gathering in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
