Abhijit Ray (Special Correspondent)
The death toll in the tragic stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal has risen to 17,with over 40 injured still under treatment at Medical College Hospital.
But as the city mourns,serious questions are being raised over the utter failure of crowd management.
It was learnt that the Puja Committee had not deployed enough volunteers and there was absolutely no proper evacuation plan in case of any emergency.
When the sudden rain hit at around 7:40 PM,there was chaos at the narrow exit gate of Sarada Park.
According to eyewitnesses and police,thousands were inside and thousands more were trying to rush in to take shelter.
With no volunteers to regulate the flow and no separate emergency exit, people slipped on the wet ground and fell, and the crowd behind kept pushing.
“There was no one with a mic,no one to say ‘slowly, slowly’.No police was visible inside the lane. It was total anarchy,” said a local resident who lost his wife in the crush.
Rescue teams later found footwear scattered, broken barricades and a complete lack of signage for evacuation.
The Girish Park Police has now sealed the pandal and is examining the permission papers and safety compliance certificate of the committee.
Kolkata’s senior citizens are calling it a black day.
“In the history of Kolkata Durga Puja,which is over 100 years old and UNESCO heritage,such a thing has never happened,”said an elderly resident of North Kolkata.
We have seen lakhs of crowd at Maddox Square, College Square,Kumartuli Park,but never a death due to stampede.
This is a man-made disaster :
Chief Minister,after visiting the hospital with Health Minister Dr.Sharadwat Mukherjee,has ordered a high-level inquiry under the Chief Secretary.
Sources said show-cause notice will be issued to the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Committee.
Meanwhile,as a precautionary measure,Kolkata Police has directed all big-budget pujas to immediately increase volunteers,open at least 3 exit gates and keep a dedicated emergency evacuation corridor,especially in view of the Saptami-Ashtami rush.
The city which was dancing to the dhaak yesterday is today silent.
