At least 17 killed in stampede at religious gathering in India

What the report says

At least 17 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede during a Hindu religious gathering in north Kolkata, in India’s West Bengal state, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing officials and police. The incident happened on Saturday evening at a Durga Puja pandal, a temporary structure where devotees gather to worship the goddess Durga during the festival.

Officials said a seven-year-old girl was among those who died, and that six of the bodies had been identified. Police said the crush developed as large crowds gathered in the area while rain fell, creating confusion and pressure near the pavilion. A senior police official told AFP that an announcement appeared to trigger commotion, after which people waiting outside the pandal pushed forward and fell, leading to the fatal crowd surge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the deaths saddening and offered condolences to the families, while his office said compensation would be paid to the relatives of those killed and to the injured. Interior Minister Amit Shah said authorities were arranging medical care for the wounded.

The report noted that deadly crowd incidents are not uncommon at large religious gatherings in India, where safety and crowd control can become major concerns during festivals that draw huge numbers of worshippers and visitors.