00:00And now Tapas who continues to be with us.
00:03Tapas, as you were saying that it's not proper right now maybe to put a number to it
00:08as to how many people have died in this tragedy.
00:12But can you tell us a little bit more about that particular pandal
00:16as to what kind of a pandal it was?
00:19Is it a very big one?
00:21Does it see a lot of footfall?
00:22And usually because Pooja is something that comes every year
00:27and there is a huge committee and state machinery working behind it.
00:31Usually what are the kind of emergency measures that are put into place
00:36and any need of exigencies that are taken into consideration?
00:41Oh well yes, Duga Pooja in Bengal is the biggest festival
00:45and lots of crows of people flopping to pandals in different parts of the state
00:49and here in Chodbagan as well is the team Pooja
00:52and where every year lots of people each day visit the pandal
00:58and this time especially the number of visitors were even more
01:03and hence the question is being raised that since the football was on the right since yesterday
01:09then why adequate measures were not in place?
01:12There were civic volunteers who were pressed into service to do the crowd management
01:17but despite that due to heavy rain people rushed into the pandal
01:22and that's how the incident happened
01:24and it's a stampede-like situation that finally transpired
01:28and out of which more than 35 people who were removed to the hospital
01:32out of which several people are created as of now
01:35all measures are being taken
01:37but what we learned from the sources within police
01:40is that all pandals across Kolkata and the state
01:43have also been alerted to manage crowds judiciously
01:47so that this kind of incident doesn't happen anywhere else
01:50but it's just the beginning of Pooja today
01:52tomorrow is another Shastami, Navami, Rashmi
01:56four more days to go
01:58but despite this kind of incident
02:01it remains to be seen that whether any punitive measures would be taken
02:05but yes what my sources within Kolkata police say
02:07that strict action will be taken against the Pooja committee
02:11authorities that they were the first responder
02:15they were the person who were responsible to manage the crowd in the first place
02:19why did this thing spiral out of control
02:21why couldn't they control the cloud
02:23is something that needs to be proved
02:25but obviously the role of Kolkata police is also under scandal
02:28as of now since there was a huge footfall
02:30whether or not proper management, crowd management was done at that point in time
02:35is something that needs to be proved
02:37and this is very very preliminary information that's flowing in at this moment
02:41and we should not diverge into any numbers as of now
02:46since there have not been any official reaction from Kolkata police
02:49Right, speaking of that
02:50Tapas do stay with us
02:51there is now a Kolkata police official statement
02:55that is coming in on the tragedy
02:57let's quickly read that out
02:59according to the police
03:00and I am quoting here
03:01today at around 19.40 hours
03:05that is 7.40 pm
03:07a stampede incident took place
03:10at the exit gate of Sarada Park Chor Bagan
03:13Pooja Pandal Girish Park Police Station area
03:17due to heavy rush of pandal hoppers
03:19during rain
03:20pandal hoppers are the people who visit pandals during the season
03:25they are called pandal hoppers
03:27all the injured persons were rescued and removed to MCH
03:31reinforcement from control room, fire brigade, KPDMG team
03:35ambulances with medical team were sent
03:38Pooja Pandal is now closed for visitors
03:40so far information received
03:44around 35 persons have been removed to the MCH
03:47so Tapas we have the official statement here
03:50from the police
03:51but they are also giving an injury number
03:54that the number of people removed
03:56are 35
03:57so there is no break up that they are giving right now
04:00they are cautious about it
04:01of how many are injured
04:03and how many are receiving treatment
04:05but as you were mentioning
04:07this is the first day of the Pooja
04:09Poojo over there
04:11clearly a dark pole will set in
04:13on the Pooja celebrations for the state
04:16especially the city
04:18well yes absolutely
04:20it's a huge festival
04:23that it's an annual festival
04:25where people flock into different pandals
04:27they hit the street
04:28and after Shubhindo Dikari came into power
04:30this is because Pooja
04:32under his supervision
04:33that is being conducted
04:34in the state of West Bengal
04:35and more importantly today
04:36Amit Shah
04:37the home minister is visiting Kolkata
04:40he will all schedule to
04:42visit multiple pandals tomorrow
04:46and during his presence in Kolkata
04:49this kind of incident
04:51suddenly raises question
04:52that why this incident
04:54could not have been averted
04:56because in years to years
04:57we have seen
04:58more number of people
05:00hitting streets at different pandals
05:01but despite that
05:02crowds were managed judiciously
05:04what the police sources say
05:06that the primary reason
05:08that why so many people
05:09rushed into the pandals
05:10could be because of heavy rain
05:12that happened in the evening
05:14and due to that
05:16people rushed to the pandal
05:18rushed inside the pandal
05:19and the number of city volunteers
05:21deputed there
05:22they were outnumbered
05:23and that could be the possible reason
05:25that why this situation happened
05:28but these are all speculations
05:30these are all assumptions
05:31that all stakeholders are making
05:34as of now
05:34all concrete answers
05:38would be given
05:39once the investigation
05:41initiates
05:42and people are being questioned
05:43the CCTVs installed in an area
05:46are also being scanned
05:48by the Kolkata police officials
05:49as of now
05:50but the situation remains to be grim
05:52since we have been told
05:54that there are several people
05:56who have already lost their lives
05:57but the number
05:58are yet to be confirmed
05:59by medical college and hospital
06:01to the police
06:02and subsequently police
06:03would release the exact death toll
06:04as to how many people
06:06have succumbed to their injury
06:07Anjali
06:08Right
06:09Tabas
06:10you mentioned
06:11that this all happened
06:13because there was
06:14a sudden bout of rain
06:15so clearly
06:16this is unseasonal rain
06:18that we had not seen
06:19that was not expected
06:20and one would assume
06:22that is why
06:22the prep
06:23for
06:24the
06:25people
06:26who were
06:26visitors
06:27or who were coming
06:28to see the pandals
06:29it was not
06:30meant for a rainy season
06:33well it's not
06:34rainy season
06:35but
06:36it's outgoing monsoon
06:37there were
06:39indications
06:40from the
06:41med department
06:42that
06:42from tomorrow
06:44onward
06:44there will be
06:45completely
06:45the monsoon
06:47would completely
06:48exit from tomorrow
06:49and there could be
06:50little rain
06:51in and around
06:52Kolkata
06:53and suburban areas
06:53and
06:54it wasn't
06:55a day long rain
06:56it was a storm
06:56it was all of a sudden
06:58the rain happened
06:59and that's the reason
07:00that people
07:01in different
07:01pandals
07:02try to take shelter
07:03and that's how
07:04it happened
07:04in Chorpagan
07:05as well
07:05and that's how
07:07situations
07:07quickly
07:08spiraled out of control
07:10now
07:10it is the authorities
07:12because Kolkata police
07:14generally hold
07:16multiple meetings
07:17prior to Durga Puja
07:18at least a month ago
07:19to address
07:21this kind of
07:22situation
07:22but as of now
07:24it remains
07:25missing that
07:25what exactly
07:26transpires
07:27after the investigation
07:29initiates
07:29but our situation
07:30looks to be grim
07:31at this moment
07:34Tapas
07:34do give us
07:35an update
07:36of what all
07:37is happening
07:37right now
07:38and what really
07:39happened
07:40when this
07:41mishap took place
07:42give us an update
07:46if you could
07:47repeat your question
07:48please
07:48if you could
07:49just give us
07:49a run through
07:50of how this
07:51incident happened
07:52and what are
07:53the latest
07:53updates coming in
07:56well see
07:57Anjali
07:58there was
07:58huge rush
07:59since late
08:00afternoon today
08:00in Chorpagan
08:02and police
08:03and volunteers
08:04were judiciously
08:05managing the crowd
08:05however
08:06it all
08:08started
08:09spiraling out
08:10spiraling out
08:10of control
08:11as it started
08:12raining
08:12since around
08:146.50
08:15to 6.30
08:16and the rain
08:17went on
08:17till an hour
08:18almost till
08:207.30
08:20and that's
08:21the reason
08:21that people
08:22who were standing
08:22in queue
08:23in huge
08:25number
08:25they tried
08:27to get
08:27inside
08:28the
08:29bandal
08:30and take
08:30shelter
08:31and that
08:31is how
08:32situations
08:32spiraled out
08:33of control
08:33these are
08:33the
08:35reports
08:35that we
08:36are telling
08:36you
08:37as of now
08:37these are
08:38the eyewitness
08:39counts
08:39but had
08:41there been
08:41adequate
08:42deployment
08:42of forces
08:43but police
08:44say that
08:44there were
08:45adequate
08:45number
08:46of police
08:47deployment
08:47in Chorpagan
08:48as well
08:49since it
08:49is one
08:50of the
08:50high profile
08:50but still
08:53the
08:54football
08:54was so
08:55huge
08:56that the
08:56police
08:57personnel
08:57and the
08:58volunteers
08:58who were
08:59deputed
09:00there
09:00were
09:00completely
09:01outnumbered
09:01and that's
09:03how
09:03situation
09:03spiraled
09:04out of
09:05control
09:05and those
09:07who have
09:08been
09:08affected
09:08have been
09:09evacuated
09:09and admitted
09:10to the
09:10Calcutta Medical
09:11College Hospital
09:12so do tell
09:13us what
09:14kind of a
09:15hospital is
09:15that
09:16is there
09:16sufficient
09:17infrastructure
09:18over there
09:18and what
09:19do you think
09:20possibly would
09:21be the
09:22government's
09:23subsequent
09:24actions
09:26well
09:27see
09:27Kolkata Medical
09:28College
09:29Hospital
09:29is one
09:31of the
09:31premier
09:31hospitals
09:31government
09:32hospitals
09:32in Kolkata
09:33and there
09:34are adequate
09:35intersections
09:35as far as
09:36dealing with
09:37these kind
09:37of situations
09:37are concerned
09:38and as far
09:39as government
09:40action is
09:40concerned
09:41we need
09:41to wait
09:41and watch
09:42Ubuntu
09:42Dikari
09:42visited
09:43the hospital
09:43and he
09:45is taking
09:45stock of
09:45the situation
09:46our helpline
09:46number
09:47have also
09:47been opened
09:48by the
09:49state
09:49government
09:49so all
09:51efforts
09:51are being
09:51made
09:52to address
09:52the
09:52situation
09:53and deal
09:55with the
09:55situation
09:55at this
09:55moment
09:56but the
09:56priority
09:56remains
09:57to address
09:58the injuries
09:58of the
09:58persons
09:59who have
09:59been
09:59evacuated
10:00from the
10:01squad
10:01to the
10:01hospital
10:02right
10:03tapas do
10:04stay with
10:04us
