PRAYER NEED
Crush at a Durga Puja festival pavilion in Kolkata kills at least 19
Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP, via Al Jazeera (file photo)
What happened
At least 19 people were killed, among them a seven-year-old girl, and 25 were injured on Saturday evening, 17 October, when crowds waiting outside a Durga Puja pandal, a temporary festival pavilion, in north Kolkata, India, surged forward and fell, officials said. The state’s chief minister first gave a toll of 17 before it rose to 19, PTI reported. Police blamed heavy crowds of festival-goers caught in rainfall, and a senior official said an announcement caused commotion as the rain began.
Families in Kolkata are mourning loved ones who went out to celebrate a festival and never came home.
People affected
- Lives lost
- At least 19
- People injured
- 25
Pray for
- Families of those who died, among them a young girl
- The 25 people injured, and those caring for them
- Families still waiting to identify loved ones
- Police, medics and volunteers at the festival
Last updated
3 people have pledged to pray