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Seven arrested after Kolkata Puja crush kills 19 people
Police arrested seven people after a crowd crush at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal killed 19 and injured dozens. Organisers and security personnel are among those held. Authorities are examining crowd controls and CCTV footage, while the state announced compensation and temporarily restricted entry to other busy Puja venues.
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From 19 October 2026 — Daily Brief
19 OCT 2026 · 24/25
Police arrested seven people after a crowd crush at a Durga Puja venue in north Kolkata killed 19 worshippers and injured dozens. The arrests were reported on Sunday, 18 October, following the disaster at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal the previous evening.
The suspects include members of the organising committee and people responsible for construction, crowd management and private security. Police registered a case over alleged culpable homicide and began examining CCTV footage.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government would ask the Calcutta High Court to establish a fact-finding inquiry. Forensic specialists and police teams are examining the venue and its crowd-control arrangements.
The state announced 2.5 million Indian rupees and a government job for each bereaved family. Injured people were promised 500,000 rupees each, with the government covering treatment costs.
Heavy rain and a sudden rush of visitors preceded the crush. Officials and relatives offered differing accounts of announcements and whistles that may have triggered panic; the precise sequence remains under investigation.
Authorities also temporarily restricted entry to several other busy Puja pandals. The arrests form part of an investigation into how visitors were managed during one of the festival’s busiest periods.