00:01Our reporters are there at the hospital as well where the injured have been brought in.
00:07It is the Calcutta Medical College Hospital where the injured were brought in.
00:12But unfortunately news coming in as our reporters were speaking to the injured over there
00:18was that some of the injured were evacuated almost an hour later.
00:27Clearly the structure when it fell managed to trap some of the injured
00:32and some people were trapped underneath the structure, the material that was used to build the structure
00:40and cutters have been brought in as Tapas Singh Gupta was saying to clear the debris
00:45to ensure that everyone is pulled out and that all the injured are brought into the hospital
00:51and evacuated from the scene of the incident.
00:58We are standing right outside the Chorhbagan Durga Puja Pandal where a stampede took place earlier this evening.
01:05You can see behind me massive police deployed at this point in time.
01:10At the same time there are disaster management teams, there are fire services teams
01:14which have also been pressed into action because all those people, there are 35 people as far as the police
01:19is concerned
01:20who have been injured and have been rushed to the local Kolkata Medical College Hospital
01:24and 17 people have been reported dead in this incident.
01:29An unprecedented incident during the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, something that we have not heard in our recent memory.
01:39You can see behind me, this is the lane which takes you inside the police, inside Chorhbagan Durga Puja.
01:48And you can see senior police officials, senior police officials are continuously arriving
01:53and they are trying to take stock of the situation at this point in time.
02:00We are seeing senior police officials here.
02:05Senior police officials are one by one entering the location of Kolkata,
02:10to take stock of the situation.
02:12This, of course, is an unprecedented incident never heard of in the recent memory of Durga Puja celebrations here in
02:21Kolkata.
02:21Today, of course, is Mahasaptami.
02:24In a sense, the beginning of Durga Puja, there was massive rush, we are told, in this part.
02:31This is central Kolkata, right next to Ram Mandir on Central Avenue.
02:36And we are told that there was a massive crowd. It rained heavily this evening.
02:41As you can see, the roads are still wet.
02:44And that's when there was a rush inside the Pandal to enter the Pandal.
02:48And that led to this very, very unfortunate incident in which we are told right now
02:53that 17 people have died and 35 people have been injured.
02:57Indrajeet reporting for India Today in Kolkata.
03:01So India Today was bringing you that report from the ground zero where the incident took place.
03:0617 people died at that Pandal.
03:10And Indrajeet Kundu was bringing that report from there.
03:12Clearly, as we saw, a narrow lane where many, many lakhs of people were trying to get in.
03:19And the information that we have is that it was around the exit gate of the Pandal where this really
03:26triggered.
03:27And it was the rain, the sudden rain that happened that led to the triggering of a stampede.
03:33But the question also is that what really happened that the Pandal collapsed?
03:39Was the crowd pressure too much? But why couldn't it withstand that?
03:43And whether the whole idea of building such pandals is, of course, executed with keeping in mind that they are
03:53able to stand any sort of exigencies that may happen,
03:57any events that may occur.
03:59So that is also a question that needs to be raised while people in Kolkata are struggling with this fact
04:06that 17 people have died.
04:08Meanwhile, the Home Minister, who is in Kolkata, who landed there today evening, this evening, I beg your pardon,
04:16he has said that he will be visiting the injured tomorrow at the hospital.
04:23He has cancelled all his programs and he shall be meeting with the injured and trying to find out how
04:30they are doing.
04:31But a huge loss there for the city and also something that will get people a little worried as they
04:40step out for the celebrations.
04:42Because something like that, which has never happened in the recent memory,
04:46and this sudden accident and the response being slow and people not being able to reach the hospital for almost
04:56an hour,
04:57that will lead to some sort of a confusion in the minds of people who have been,
05:02who were planning to step out during the Pujo festivities.
05:05And that is a question that we will have to ask the administration.
05:10A stampede took place earlier this evening.
05:13You can see behind me massive police deployed at this point in time.
05:17At the same time, there are disaster management teams, there are fire services teams,
05:22which have also been pressed into action because all those people,
05:25there are 35 people as far as the police is concerned, who have been injured and have been rushed to
05:30the local Kolkata Medical College hospital.
05:32And 17 people have been reported dead in this incident, an unprecedented incident during the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata,
05:42something that we have not heard in our recent memory.
05:47You can see behind me, this is the lane which takes you inside Chorhagan, Durga Puja.
05:55And you can see senior police officials, senior police officials are continuously arriving,
06:01and they are trying to take stock of the situation at this point in time.
06:07We are seeing senior police officials here.
06:13Senior police officials are one by one entering the location at this point in time to take stock of the
06:19situation.
06:20This, of course, is an unprecedented incident never heard of in the recent memory of Durga Puja celebrations here in
06:28Kolkata.
06:29Today, of course, is Mahasaptami.
06:32In a sense, the beginning of Durga Puja, there was massive rush, we are told, in this part.
06:39This is central Kolkata, right next to Ram Mandir on Central Avenue.
06:44And we are told that there was a massive crowd. It rained heavily this evening.
06:49As you can see, the roads are still wet. And that's when there was a rush inside the Pandal to
06:55enter the Pandal.
06:56And that led to this very, very unfortunate incident in which we are told right now that 17 people have
07:02died and 35 people have been injured.
07:05Indrajit reporting for India today in Kolkata.
07:09So we brought you that report from the place where this really happened, the Chobagan Puja Pandal.
07:17And we showed you the lane that led to that Pandal, which was a narrow lane.
07:22And, of course, the senior officers are there now trying to figure out what really happened and an investigation is
07:27underway.
07:28But the big question is that was this, was, were there enough sort of checks put over there to ensure
07:39incidents don't happen?
07:41Something happening because it's an accident is different, but was there any lapse?
07:46Were there any loopholes in the security arrangements, in the crowd control efforts that were executed over there?
07:57Those are the questions that people are asking.
07:59We are also bringing you visuals from the hospital where the injured have been taken.
08:05It is the Kolkata Medical College, Calcutta Medical College Hospital.
08:09And people being brought in over there, being given treatment.
08:15We do not have the exact number of people who were grievously injured, but the number of injured is currently
08:22being said to be 35.
08:24But, of course, we have seen people...
08:26This is the DG Fire Anubala.
08:28I don't know if there is any statement, but I'll wait for you.
08:31You can't wait for you.
08:31You're not out of the way.
08:33Is there something else?
08:35Is there something else?
08:35I'm just patient.
08:36I'm patient.
08:38I'm patient.
08:40Is there something else?
08:42What is there something else?
08:43Is there something else?
08:45Is there something else?
08:45Aikon, I'm going to show you the statement.
08:47Let the Kolkata Police also come.
08:49Now we will be sent a statement.
08:50What is the situation on the other side?
09:06D.G. of the fire services over there, he stepped out of the pandal.
09:11That has been, it seems, that has been sealed off.
09:14And he said that he will not be making any statement right now.
09:17He said that he's waiting for the police also to arrive.
09:22And then any sort of a statement will be made.
09:26But clearly, right now, they are not ready to give out any details as to what really happened.
09:31But an investigation for sure is underway as the top officials of the fire services and the police are reaching
09:40the place,
09:41the Pooja Pandal, where this incident happened to figure out what really went wrong.
09:46Remember, this is, this Pooja is something that happens every single year in Kolkata and many other cities.
09:57It is executed almost flawlessly.
10:01Lacks of people come in.
10:03They pay their respect to Madhurga.
10:06Many devotees walk through these pandals.
10:10The footfall is in lakhs and lakhs.
10:12So, the crowd management is handled by the police, the fire services, the volunteers, the Pooja committees.
10:20There is a whole, a whole system that works to ensure that there is no mistake that happens.
10:29So, what really happened at this Pooja committee?
10:32Now, this is a big Pooja committee as well.
10:34Well, this particular Pooja Pandal is run by a big Pooja committee, which has sufficient funds.
10:43It has, of course, that is the reason why that they make these huge, grand pandals, which people come to
10:51see.
10:51And the big question now is that was, was the Pooja Pandal strong enough, sufficient enough to take on the
11:01crowd pressure that came in?
11:02Also, were sufficient measures taken to control the crowd?
11:07Remember, events are organized everywhere and every year.
11:11However, religious events in India are a regular occurrences and sadly, stampedes are also regular occurrences.
