Developing: 19 dead in Kolkata festival crush, seven arrested
Seven people have been arrested after the disaster at a Durga Puja pandal. The state government has announced an inquiry led by a sitting Calcutta High Court judge.
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Nineteen people, including a seven-year-old girl, died in a crowd crush at a Hindu festival in Kolkata, prompting arrests and a judicial inquiry into crowd safety.
Another 25 people were injured at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in the city's north on October 17. By October 18, 24 were out of danger and one remained in critical condition, according to The Hindu.
Police said the crush occurred at about 7:40 p.m. at the pandal's exit gate, amid heavy crowds and rain. Investigators are examining crowd-control arrangements and announcements made after the downpour, while witnesses have described narrow gates and inadequate lighting. Those accounts are preliminary, and the cause has not been established.
The West Bengal government has announced an inquiry led by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. Police have obtained CCTV footage from the site, giving investigators a record to examine alongside accounts from visitors and staff.
Durga Puja brings visitors between decorated community pandals, temporary structures built for the festival. At Chorbagan, the investigation now centres on how people moved through the site, what happened when rain interrupted the evening and whether the exit could handle the crowd.
