DOMINANT ANGLE
Dhaka recalls from the Calcutta stampede a lack of crowd control: rain, narrow exit, lack of lighting, and a series of similar accidents in India that The Daily Star recalls.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
At least 19 dead and 25 injured in front of the Chorbagan pandal, according to Suvendu Adhikari cited by The Daily Star on Sunday, October 18.
- 02
The government announces a job for each victim's family, 5 lakh rupees for each injured person, and will request a fact-finding committee from the Calcutta High Court (TBS).
- 03
Narendra Modi announces 200,000 rupees for the families of the deceased and 50,000 for each injured person (The Daily Star, AFP).
ANALYSIS
Dhaka, October 18, 2026. The Daily Star and The Business Standard (TBS) are covering the stampede that occurred on Saturday, October 17, in the evening near the Chorbagan pandal, in northern Calcutta, on the first day of Maha Saptami. Their initial report mentions 17 deaths and 25 injuries; the toll is later raised to 19 deaths, including 17 on the spot, according to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, quoted on Sunday, October 18.
The causes are reported with their discrepancies. According to the Calcutta police, the stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Sarada Park pandal (Chor Bagan), under heavy attendance and rain. A senior police official told AFP that an announcement had caused a "commotion" and that the crowd massed outside was pushing and falling to the ground. A witness quoted by The Daily Star denounces narrow entrances and exits and "no lighting in the area". A version published on Sunday by The Daily Star also mentions the collapse of part of the exit gate structure.
The human toll is specified: 13 women and a seven-year-old child are among the dead, and 24 of the 25 injured are out of danger, one remaining in critical condition.
The official response occupies a large place. Narendra Modi announced 200,000 rupees for the families of the deceased and 50,000 for each injured person. Suvendu Adhikari announced a public job per family, 5 lakh rupees per injured person, and the coverage of medical expenses; TBS indicates 25 lakh per deceased family, while The Daily Star reports "2.5 lakh rupees", an unexplained discrepancy in the texts. Organizers, private security guards, and service personnel have been detained for questioning, and the police have collected CCTV footage. The government is to ask the President of the Calcutta High Court to set up a fact-finding committee.
The Daily Star places the event in a series: the Kumbh Mela stampede last year (30 deaths), the 11 deaths in Bengaluru after the cricket team's title, the 36 deaths at Vijay's meeting in Tamil Nadu, and the 121 deaths in Uttar Pradesh in 2024. The agency recalls that such tragedies are frequent during religious gatherings. Adhikari himself called on the 58,000 pujas in the state to respect the fire and police instructions on lighting, entrances and exits, and crowd control.
