Stampede at Kolkata Hindu festival kills at least 19 people

At least 19 people died in a stampede that erupted during a Hindu festival in Kolkata, authorities confirmed. Among the deceased was a young girl aged seven, highlighting the severity of the incident at the crowded religious event.

The stampede occurred as large crowds gathered for the Hindu festival celebration in the eastern Indian city. Emergency services responded to the scene, though details regarding the exact circumstances that triggered the crush remained under investigation.

Stampedes at religious gatherings and festivals in India have historically resulted in significant casualties due to overcrowding and inadequate crowd management infrastructure. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident to determine the precise causes and contributing factors.

The incident adds to a troubling history of stampedes at major religious events across South Asia, raising questions about safety protocols and crowd control measures at such large-scale gatherings.