📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / HridoyKundu
Religion
Three Durga Puja committees issue fire safety notices after Kolkata stampede kills 19
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 20 Oct 2026, 12:37 AM
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Three Durga Puja organising committees in Kolkata have issued fire‑safety notices following a stampede that left 19 people dead.
Three Durga Puja committees in Kolkata released formal fire‑safety notices this week, urging pandal organisers to tighten electrical wiring, restrict open flames and improve crowd‑control measures. The notices were issued just days after a tragic stampede at a popular puja venue claimed 19 lives, prompting heightened scrutiny of safety protocols during the festival.
The stampede occurred on the evening of [date not provided] at a crowded pandal in the city’s north‑east region, where a sudden surge of devotees caused a crush near the main entrance. Emergency services rescued dozens, but 19 victims succumbed to injuries despite prompt medical attention.
In their statements, the three committees said the fire‑safety directives are intended to prevent further loss of life and property as the city hosts thousands of worshippers each day of the festivities. They have asked all pandal owners to submit compliance reports within a week and warned that non‑adherence could lead to revocation of permits.
Local authorities have welcomed the proactive step, noting that the stampede highlighted broader gaps in crowd‑management and emergency response. Police and municipal officials are continuing investigations into the causes of the tragedy while coordinating with the committees to enforce the new safety measures before the peak days of Durga Puja.
The stampede occurred on the evening of [date not provided] at a crowded pandal in the city’s north‑east region, where a sudden surge of devotees caused a crush near the main entrance. Emergency services rescued dozens, but 19 victims succumbed to injuries despite prompt medical attention.
In their statements, the three committees said the fire‑safety directives are intended to prevent further loss of life and property as the city hosts thousands of worshippers each day of the festivities. They have asked all pandal owners to submit compliance reports within a week and warned that non‑adherence could lead to revocation of permits.
Local authorities have welcomed the proactive step, noting that the stampede highlighted broader gaps in crowd‑management and emergency response. Police and municipal officials are continuing investigations into the causes of the tragedy while coordinating with the committees to enforce the new safety measures before the peak days of Durga Puja.