CHOREBAGAN STAMPEDE TRAGEDY PROMPTS EMERGENCY MEDICAL DEPLOYMENT AT FIVE MAJOR KOLKATA PUJA PANDALS
October 20, 2026
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 20: The West Bengal Health Department has ordered the deployment of medical teams at five major Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata following the Chorebagan stampede that claimed 19 lives and left 25 people injured, as the state intensifies emergency preparedness during the final days of the festival.
Under the order, teams comprising doctors and medical officers, including those of assistant professor rank, will remain stationed at the designated pandals from 5 pm to 6 am between October 19 and October 21. The arrangement is intended to ensure rapid medical intervention should another emergency occur amid the large crowds visiting the city’s popular pujas.
The five locations selected for medical support are Santosh Mitra Square, Tala Prattoy, College Square, Ekdalia Evergreen and Chetla Agrani. Doctors from Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital will serve Santosh Mitra Square, while a team from R G Kar Medical College and Hospital will be stationed at Tala Prattoy. Medical College, Kolkata, will cover College Square; National Medical College will provide doctors for Ekdalia Evergreen; and SSKM Hospital will deploy its team at Chetla Agrani.
The department has also directed major hospitals across Kolkata to keep their emergency departments fully operational throughout the festival. Orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and anaesthetists have been instructed to remain available so that emergency operations for trauma cases can be undertaken without delay if a major incident occurs.
As part of the heightened alert, the health administration has cancelled leave for doctors, healthcare workers and administrative officials. IAS officers who are currently on leave have also been instructed to return to duty immediately. The department warned that failure to comply with the order could result in disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal.
The measures follow Saturday’s deadly stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata, where a sudden surge of people led to a fatal crush. Police are investigating whether inadequate crowd management, confusion over announcements and the arrangements for entry and exit contributed to the disaster.
The government has widened its vigilance beyond the five designated pandals. Health officials in North 24 Parganas have been directed to remain especially alert because of the large gatherings expected at the Dakshineswar temple complex and during idol immersion in Taki.
Meanwhile, police have arrested seven people in connection with the Chorebagan tragedy, including members of the puja committee, individuals involved in crowd management and private security supervisors. Authorities are also examining crowd-control arrangements at major pandals across Kolkata.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said that the state government will seek the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice’s approval for a sitting judge to head a special investigation team to ensure an impartial inquiry into the incident.
The deployment of medical teams represents one part of the state’s broader response to the tragedy. With large numbers of devotees continuing to visit major pandals, the immediate priority is to ensure that medical assistance is available quickly, hospitals are prepared for emergencies and further loss of life is prevented.
