Stories
Chorbagan Tragedy: Pratibha from Nadia Saved Herself but Could Not Save Her Aunt
- •Pratibha Sikdar and her aunt Aarti Sarkar Biswas from Chakdaha, Nadia, had travelled to Kolkata to see Durga idols.
- •Despite holding hands, Aarti fell in the massive crowd rush and tragically lost her life.
- •While a helping hand in the crowd saved Pratibha, she carries the lifelong regret of failing to save her aunt.
- •Aarti had insisted on visiting Chorbagan after seeing a viral video on social media.
- •Following the incident, the administration has stepped up crowd control measures and ordered strict monitoring for major pujas.
Key Questions Answered
A massive crowd surged at the narrow entry and exit points of the Chorbagan puja pandal following sudden rain on Saptami evening, creating chaotic conditions that led to a deadly stampede.
The state government announced 25 lakh rupees and a government job for each deceased family member, along with 5 lakh rupees and covered medical expenses for the injured. Additionally, the Prime Minister announced 2 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured from the PMNRF.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered district magistrates, superintendents of police, and police commissioners to conduct on-site inspections and directly review crowd management with puja organizers. Furthermore, Kolkata Police enforced strict three-day assembly and procession restrictions in specific areas of Bowbazar under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023.
