At least 17 people crushed to death at Indian religious festival
At least 17 people were killed and more than 25 injured in a crush at a Durga Puja festival pavilion in Kolkata.
As 1news.az reports, this was announced by NDTV, citing police data.
The tragedy occurred in the evening at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pavilion in the Girish Park area in the north of the city. According to police, at around 7:40 p.m. local time, a crush occurred at the exit of the pavilion due to a large gathering of people during a sudden downpour.
The injured were taken to Kolkata Medical College. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the state's chief secretary Manoj Agarwal arrived at the hospital to monitor the situation.
According to eyewitnesses, many festivalgoers lost consciousness, and some were taken to the hospital on motorcycles. One witness said that the entrance to and exit from the pavilion were very narrow and that there was no lighting there.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences on social media.
"I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the stampede at the Chorbagan pavilion. I pray to Goddess Durga for the speedy recovery of all those injured and for strength and courage for their families in this difficult hour," she wrote.
Durga Puja is West Bengal's main festival, dedicated to the goddess Durga, and it is celebrated with particular splendor in Kolkata. Unlike home ceremonies, in the city's pavilions (called "sarbojanin," which means "for everyone") the festival turns into a large-scale public event. Organizers compete for years in the decoration of such pavilions, often dedicating them to social themes, history, or art.
