GANGTOK, Oct 18: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and senior Congress leaders have expressed grief over the stampede-like incident at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, which claimed 19 lives and left several others injured.
Tamang said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the tragedy and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and expressed solidarity with everyone affected.
“May Maa Durga grant eternal peace to the departed souls and bestow strength, courage and solace upon the grieving families to bear this irreparable loss,” the Chief Minister wrote in a Facebook post, adding that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims and their families.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also expressed grief over the incident and urged the West Bengal government to ensure prompt medical assistance, compensation for the victims and a thorough investigation.
In a post on X, Kharge said he was “deeply anguished” by the tragedy and called for immediate rescue operations and medical assistance for the injured. He also sought adequate compensation for the families of the deceased and those injured, along with an investigation to prevent similar incidents. He appealed to Congress leaders and workers to extend all possible assistance to those affected.
Gandhi described the news as “extremely heartbreaking”, conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He urged the administration to ensure proper medical treatment and a fair investigation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 19 people had died, including 17 at the spot. At least 25 people were injured, of whom 24 were reported to be out of danger, while one remained in critical condition.
After visiting the site, Adhikari said the government would provide an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the family of each deceased victim. Each injured person would receive Rs 5 lakh, while the government would bear the full cost of their medical treatment.
He also said he would write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking the formation of a fact-finding committee comprising the Special Task Force and forensic teams to investigate the incident.
Adhikari added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought a detailed report from the state’s chief secretary and that the Centre and the state government were coordinating relief efforts.
The incident occurred amid heavy crowds at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. The injured were taken to hospitals as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
