Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: 19 Dead, 7 Arrested; Security Tightened At Delhi's CR Park

A stampede at Kolkata’s Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal on Maha Saptami claimed 19 lives and left at least 25 people injured amid heavy rain and overcrowding. The incident has raised serious questions about crowd management, emergency exits and security arrangements. Seven people, including the puja committee’s secretary and vice-president, have been arrested. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said preliminary inputs suggest that announcements and whistles blown by private security personnel may have triggered the rush. The West Bengal government has announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job for each deceased victim’s family. Meanwhile, security has been tightened at Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park Durga Puja venues, with increased police deployment and additional crowd-control measures.