Durga Puja stampede in Kolkata's Chorbagan kills 19, 7 detained
India
A Durga Puja celebration in Kolkata's Chorbagan turned tragic on Saturday, October 17, 2026, when a stampede during heavy rain left 19 people dead.
Seven people, including event organizers and security staff, are now in police custody for 10 days, facing charges related to the chaos that broke out after an announcement warned the pandal might collapse.
Suvendu Adhikari promises aid, orders probe
Authorities say poor crowd management and narrow entry points made things worse.
In response, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised financial help for victims' families and ordered a high court-led investigation.
For now, several big Durga Puja events in Kolkata have paused visitor entry to prevent anything like this from happening again.