Kolkata Police search for person who spread rumour before Durga Puja pandal stampede

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police are looking for a person who had allegedly misled revellers by announcing that a section of the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal was collapsing, which appeared to have triggered panic among them and led to the stampede that claimed the lives of 19 people and left 25 injured three days ago, a senior officer said on Tuesday.

The police have not found evidence to substantiate the claim, he said.

"At present, there is no evidence to suggest that any part of the pandal was in a position to collapse," the police officer told PTI, adding that investigators were examining CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events.

Of the 30 cameras installed across the premises, footage from 13 covers the area where the incident took place, he said.

"An analysis indicates that rain caused the exit point to be congested, while the entry point remained open despite the presence of a large crowd inside the pandal," the officer said.

Nineteen people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening.

The CCTV footage is expected to help investigators reconstruct the crowd's movement and determine how the situation escalated, the officer said, adding that the circumstances under which entry was allowed despite congestion at the exit may also come under scrutiny.

"Who made the announcement and why it was made are key questions that need to be answered," the officer said.

The announcement that a section of the structure was collapsing allegedly triggered panic among visitors.

"Police have not found evidence to substantiate the claim," the officer said.