Business · India Bureau
Police hunt rumour-monger behind deadly Kolkata Durga Puja stampede
Investigators have dismissed claims of a pandal collapse at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja venue, identifying instead a false rumour as the trigger for a stampede that claimed multiple lives on Saturday. Police are now searching for the person responsible for spreading the misinformation.
LSN India ·
Law enforcement agencies investigating the tragic stampede at Chorbagan's Durga Puja pandal have concluded that structural failure did not precipitate the deadly crush. Instead, authorities have pinpointed an unsubstantiated rumour about a pandal collapse as the primary catalyst for the panic that engulfed the crowded venue on Saturday evening.
Detectives are conducting a systematic review of CCTV footage from the site to establish a precise chronology of events leading up to the stampede. The video evidence is expected to help identify individuals involved in circulating the false claim and trace how the rumour spread among the assembled devotees.
The stampede resulted in several fatalities and left dozens injured as panicked crowds rushed to exit the pandal following the unconfirmed report. Authorities have launched a manhunt for the person or persons responsible for originating and propagating the false information that triggered the catastrophic crowd surge.
Police have urged the public to exercise caution regarding unverified claims at public gatherings and appealed for information from witnesses who may have observed how the rumour began. The incident has renewed focus on crowd management protocols at major festival venues across the city.