At least 19 people have died in a stampede during a major Hindu festival in eastern India’s West Bengal state, officials said on Sunday. The incident happened on Saturday night in the state capital, Kolkata, when a crowd near a pavilion ran for cover as it began raining during Durga Puja, an annual Hindu festival celebrating the goddess Durga.
Police launch investigation
According to police, some worshippers fell on the road, triggering the stampede. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 19 people had died and 25 were receiving treatment. He announced an investigation by a Special Investigation Team to be headed by a judge of the state’s High Court.
Police have launched a probe into any crowd-control and safety lapses. Some pavilion organisers, private security personnel and on-duty staff were detained in connection with the incident.
Venues temporarily closed
Around 3,500 Durga Puja pavilions, known locally as pandals, have been set up across Kolkata for the festival. Following the stampede, authorities advised several of Kolkata’s most heavily attended venues to temporarily close to visitors.
Previous festival tragedies
This isn't the first crowd crush incident happening in India during religious festivals, which are normally attended by large crowds, sometimes in the millions. In January of 2025, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering.
In 2013, panic erupted among pilgrims attending a Hindu festival at a temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, amid fears that a bridge would collapse. At least 115 people were crushed to death or drowned in the river below.
