Stories
Disaster at Chorbagan Sarbojonin! 19 Dead and Mismanagement Allegations
- •A massive stampede occurred at the Chorbagan Sarbojonin Durga Puja pandal on Saptami evening due to heavy rain and overcrowding.
- •Eyewitnesses and locals alleged poor crowd management, improper announcements, and the exit gate being closed.
- •A total of 19 people have died in the tragic accident, and around 35 injured were rushed to Medical College Hospital.
- •Locals claimed a lack of adequate police presence for general visitors and no immediate administrative help for the injured.
- •The West Bengal government has launched two toll-free helpline numbers for information regarding the incident, and the pandal has been temporarily closed.
Key Questions Answered
A stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Chorbagan puja pandal due to massive overcrowding amidst sudden heavy rain around 7:40 PM on Saturday. Eyewitnesses and reports noted that confusion arose from improper crowd announcements, narrow exit paths, and a sudden surge of people trying to escape or enter during the downpour.
The Government of West Bengal has launched two toll-free helpline numbers, 18003455678 and 03322141310, for people to obtain information regarding the accident.
The West Bengal government announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 25 lakh and a government job for one family member of each deceased person, along with Rs. 5 lakh for the injured. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.
