Kolkata: Investigators looking into the deadly stampede that claimed at least 19 lives at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening believe the disaster may have been triggered by panic and misleading public announcements following a heavy downpour. A senior police officer, citing information shared with news agencies, indicated that authorities have recovered video footage capturing an announcer instructing visitors to evacuate the structure because it was allegedly on the verge of collapsing. Police are actively working to identify the individual responsible for the broadcast and determine the exact motivation behind it.
Preliminary findings, supported by circumstantial evidence, local accounts, and eyewitness testimonies, point toward severe crowd mismanagement as a major contributing factor to the tragedy. Officials reviewing the security arrangements determined that the deployment of police personnel and private security guards at the location was insufficient to handle the massive influx of visitors, intensifying the chaotic situation.
Investigators noted that the puja organizers lacked a formal, structured plan for crowd management, relying instead on verbal coordination. Authorities have secured closed-circuit television footage, documented statements from residents and witnesses, and corroborated various details regarding the breakdown in safety protocols.
Because of the heavy congestion and lack of organized egress, trapped visitors attempted to flee through the main entrance gate as the panic spread. Investigators observed that both the entry-exit gates and the surrounding approach roads were narrow, severely restricting movement and exacerbating the casualties during the incident.