At Least 17 Dead in Kolkata Crowd Crush During Durga Puja

At least 17 people have lost their lives, and dozens were wounded, in a sudden crowd crush at a Durga Puja event in Kolkata as rain fell unexpectedly.

The incident began when sudden rainfall prompted thousands of devotees to rush for shelter inside a large Durga Puja pandal, creating a chaotic surge. Witnesses said the sudden announcement of rain and the crowd’s attempts to find cover triggered pushing, pulling and a subsequent stampede.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari confirmed that a seven‑year‑old girl was among the dead and that twenty‑five people were receiving treatment in local hospitals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the event as a “tragic” incident and said the government was offering assistance to the affected families. Six of the victims have already been identified.

India has a history of crowd‑related fatalities at religious festivals, most notably a 2019 incident that killed 121 people in Uttar Pradesh. Officials say the lack of adequate security measures and crowd management often leads to such tragedies.