Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A video recorded shortly before the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening shows people rushing towards the pandal as rain began, capturing the crowd movement in the moments leading up to the tragedy.
The incident took place at around 7.40 pm on October 17, during Maha Saptami, at the Sarada Park exit gate of the pandal.
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At least 19 people died and several others were injured in the stampede, according to reports. The injured were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
The visuals show a crowd moving towards the pandal amid wet conditions.
The footage offers a glimpse of the rush before the incident, as large numbers of visitors gathered at the venue during the Durga Puja celebrations.
According to Kolkata Police, the stampede occurred amid heavy crowding and rainfall.
A senior police officer said the crowd surge began as rain fell, prompting people waiting outside to move forward. The circumstances surrounding the rush, including the crowd management arrangements at the venue, are being investigated.
KOLKATA STAMPEDE: POLICE PROBE CROWD MANAGEMENT
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered an investigation into the incident and said those responsible for safety arrangements at the venue would be questioned. Police have collected CCTV footage and are examining evidence to establish the sequence of events and determine responsibility.
Police have also cited concerns over crowd management, narrow entry and exit points, and announcements made during the rush. Investigators are examining whether an announcement suggesting that the pandal structure was at risk of collapsing contributed to confusion among visitors.
The pandal was closed to visitors after the stampede, while police, fire brigade personnel, disaster management teams and ambulances were deployed for rescue and emergency response.
The state government has announced compensation for the families of those killed and for the injured. A special investigation team has also been ordered to probe the incident, with the authorities promising action against anyone found responsible for lapses.
STAMPEDE DUE TO MISLEADING ANNOUNCEMENT?
The stampede may have been triggered by a potentially misleading announcement, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.
The officer said investigators had found a video footage in which an announcer could be heard claiming that the pandal structure was about to collapse. “We have video footage of an announcement asking people to leave the pandal on the grounds that the structure was about to collapse. We are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it,” he said.
According to the officer, preliminary findings suggest that the announcement may have contributed to panic among visitors. Investigators are examining the footage to establish who made the announcement and the circumstances in which it was issued.
Circumstantial evidence, along with accounts from local residents and eyewitnesses, points to inadequate crowd control as a possible factor in the tragedy, the officer said. Police are investigating the sequence of events that led to the stampede.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
