Multitudinous call: at least 17 people died in a stampede during a religious celebration in India

Multitudinous gathering: at least 17 people died in a stampede during a religious celebration in India The episode occurred in Calcutta during the celebrations for "Durga Puja", an event in homage to one of the principal goddesses of Hindu believers; more than 20 were reported injured - 4 minutes reading The start of one of the main religious celebrations in India ended in a tragedy with at least 17 deaths and 25 other injuries. The episode occurred in the last hours in Calcutta, the capital of the state of West Bengal, and one of the most important cities in the Asian country. "The stampede in Calcutta is extremely distressing. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover as soon as possible. The local administration is providing all assistance to those affected," stated the Hindu Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, hours after what happened. The tragic incident took place in a temporary structure -inaugurated days earlier for the celebration- of Chorbagan Sarbojanin Puja, located in North Calcutta, at 7 PM local time (10 AM Argentina), during the celebration of "Durga Puja", one of the most important religious festivals in India, held in honor of the goddess Durga, as stated by The New Indian Express. The event had a large gathering and everything was proceeding normally until it began to rain. The storm, which included intense precipitation and lightning, caused a sudden movement of the attendees, which led to a stampede at the exit door of the Puja Pandal at Sarada Park, according to local police. On the other hand, according to The Telegraph India, in the face of the rain, many of the participants rushed into the pavilion where the celebration was to take place. As a result, those already inside could not leave and were trapped. Furthermore, the breaking of a statue of the goddess Durga inside the structure also reportedly caused injuries to several of the people there. In turn, several witnesses reported the scant police presence and the lack of security measures to ensure the proper development of the religious celebration. "The adjacent street [to the pavilion], Parbati Ghosh Lane, was closed. Passage for ambulances was not allowed. The police had fled. The neighbors rushed to rescue those trapped inside," indicated one of the witnesses, in dialogue with The Telegraph India. Following the reports from the attendees, firefighters, the police, and medical personnel worked at the scene. At least 25 people were transported with injuries to one of the nearest hospitals. After what happened, the Indian Minister of Defence expressed his sorrow for the tragedy. "Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives caused by the stampede in a Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan of Calcutta," wrote Rajnath Singh via X. For his part, the President of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, stated that he was "deeply dismayed" by the tragic stampede and urged the government of West Bengal to "ensure immediate rescue and medical assistance, adequate compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured, and a thorough investigation to prevent similar tragedies in the future." "I appeal to all leaders and militants of the Congress to provide all possible help to those affected in these difficult times," he added. The Prime Minister of India, in turn, announced a financial aid of 200,000 rupees (a little over US$2000) to the close relatives of each person who lost their life. Furthermore, he stated that he will provide 50,000 rupees (US$525) to those who were injured. - 1 - 2 Evacuated about 1,200 families in Paraguay due to floods associated with El Niño - 3 Pope's health: how is the recovery of Leo XIV going and what does the medical report of October 16 say - 4 Christina Koch, Artemis II astronaut, 47 years old: "To explore the universe and other planets, we must first understand how to take care of our own"