KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede that claimed 19 lives was primarily caused by human error, describing the loss of lives as “very painful”.Adhikari made the remarks after visiting the residences of two victims, Shubham Sonkar in Bagmari, Manicktala, and Mithu Mondal in Shyampukur, to meet their bereaved families and assure them of assistance.“The stampede was primarily due to human error. The rest will be probed by the retired judge who has been given the responsibility of the investigation. The police will assist her, and witnesses will give their testimonies. The report will be submitted within three months,” the chief minister said.He said the state government would implement the recommendations of the inquiry and make the findings public.“The state will implement whatever recommendations are made. The government will immediately place the report before the Assembly, provide it to reporters and make it available in the public domain,” Adhikari said.Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, he said, “It is my responsibility to stand beside the families. I have assured them of all possible assistance. I would also like to thank the private agencies and political organisations that have stood by the families.”The chief minister said he had also spoken to the victims’ neighbours and urged them to support the bereaved families during the difficult period.“I also spoke to the neighbours and urged them to stand beside the families, both mentally and physically, so that they do not feel left out during this time,” he said.Highlighting the scale of Durga Puja celebrations across West Bengal, Adhikari said around 66,000 pujas were organised across the state, of which 58,000 received government grants.More than 90% of the idols had already been immersed, he said.“There has been no incident, but the loss of 19 lives within 1.5 to two minutes is really painful and pathetic,” he said.Adhikari also announced that he would meet representatives of around 8,000 Durga Puja committees on October 26 to discuss safety measures for next year’s celebrations and prevent a recurrence of incidents such as the Chorbagan stampede.“They organised the pujas successfully, and I will congratulate them for that. But I will also ask them to learn a lesson from the Chorbagan incident,” he said.The committees would be asked to follow the recommendations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and plan their arrangements for Durga Puja 2027 well in advance, he added.At least 19 people died and 25 others were injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan puja pandal in north Kolkata on October 17, Maha Saptami, following a surge in the crowd amid rain.Earlier, after visiting Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where the victims were taken, Adhikari announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased victim.On October 21, the state government constituted a six-member SIT headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati to investigate the stampede and make appropriate recommendations.(With agency inputs)
