In brief
A sudden rain‑induced crowd crush at a Durga Puja festival in Kolkata left at least 17 dead and dozens injured. The stampede occurred as people tried to shelter from the rain, creating chaos inside a crowded event space. West Bengal’s chief minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed condolences and pledged support to victims’ families. This tragedy highlights ongoing safety challenges at large religious gatherings in India.
At least 17 people have been killed and many more injured in a crush at an event in the Indian city of Kolkata to mark the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, officials say.
The incident occurred during sudden rainfall, which witnesses say prompted a surge of people to try to seek shelter.
West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari said a seven‑year‑old girl was among the dead, and that 25 people were being treated for injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “tragic” incident and said the regional government was providing help to affected families.
Six of the dead have been identified, Adhikari said.
A senior police official told AFP that an announcement caused “commotion” after it started raining and the crowd started “pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede.”
Such deadly crowd incidents during religious festivals are common in India due to crowd management challenges and lack of safety measures.
Two years ago, 121 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh during a Hindu religious gathering. Read more
