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17 dead, 25 hurt in stampede at India religious gathering
Confirmed
In Short: The incident is part of a series of stampedes in India, including one in 2024 where 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering.
A stampede at a Hindu religious festival in Kolkata, India, killed at least 19 people and injured 25 others, officials said. The incident occurred in the evening amid heavy crowds and rainfall.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters that the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl. Adhikari also noted that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion during the Durga Puja festival.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Modi’s office announced a compensation payment of 200,000 rupees ($2,106) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees ($527) each for the injured.
A senior police official at the scene told the AFP news agency that an announcement caused “commotion” after it started raining, leading to a rush and a stampede as the crowd pushed and pulled to enter the pavilion.
Videos shot before the stampede showed large crowds waiting to enter the pavilion, in an area with narrow lanes that allowed only a few people to walk in at a time.
Nine dead bodies have been released to their families, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The death toll rose by two to 19, according to Adhikari’s later statement.
In 2023, a stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela religious fair killed 30 people and injured several others, and 11 fans were crushed to death in Bengaluru during celebrations for the local cricket team’s first Indian Premier League title.
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, called the stampede “extremely sad and heart-wrenching” in a post on social media platform X.
The stampede took place about 350 kilometers (217 miles) southwest of state capital Lucknow, according to the New York Daily News.
What this adds
The incident highlights the recurring issue of crowd management during large religious gatherings in India.
What's confirmed
- “Condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The West Bengal Government is providing all possible help to the affected families,” Modi wrote on X. Modi’s office announced a compensation payment of 200,000 rupees ($2,106) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees ($527) each for the injured.
- “Six bodies have so far been identified,” Adhikari said.
- West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion “in a stampede” at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata.
- KOLKATA, India — At least 17 people were killed and two dozen more injured Saturday in eastern India after a stampede that was likely caused by sudden rainfall during a Hindu religious gathering, officials said.
- The same year, 36 people were killed after a stampede broke out at a campaign rally of a popular actor-turned-politician in southern Tamil Nadu state.
- Last year, a stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela religious fair killed 30 people and injured several others, and 11 fans were crushed to death in Bengaluru during celebrations for the local cricket team’s first Indian Premier League title.
- In 2024, 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering.
What's still developing
- A record 100 million devotees were expected to engage in the ritual bath in India At least 30 people have died following a stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering in India, authorities reportedly said.
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