East Midnapore/Howrah, West Bengal — West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday visited the homes of bereaved families whose kin died in the Chorabagan Durga Puja pandal stampede and handed over financial assistance, officials said.
Visits completed to 17 Bengal homes; Bihar families to be assisted
According to a report by ANI, Adhikari completed visits to the residences of all 17 people from West Bengal who lost their lives in the tragedy that occurred at the Chorabagan pandal in Kolkata on October 17. The Chief Minister also visited the family of Bikas Bhattacharya in Howrah and handed over a cheque for ₹25 lakh as immediate financial assistance.
"17 men from West Bengal lost their lives. Today, I have completed visits to the homes of all 17 of them. The remaining two cases are in Muzaffarpur; I am sending Umesh Rai, a Minister of State in the West Bengal government, there with the compensation amount," the Chief Minister said, according to ANI.
Adhikari acknowledged that monetary help cannot compensate for the loss of loved ones and reiterated the government's responsibility to support affected families during their bereavement, ANI reported.
Scale of incident and probe
The stampede at the Chorabagan Durga Puja pandal on October 17 claimed 19 lives and injured several others, prompting questions over crowd management and safety at large public gatherings. On October 21, the state government, in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances of the stampede and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in future, ANI reported.
The Chief Minister said arrangements had been made to extend assistance to the two victims who were from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and that he had despatched Minister of State Umesh Rai to hand over the compensation to those families.
Immediate relief and longer-term expectations
The handing over of cheques to bereaved households is being presented by the government as an immediate relief measure. Officials have framed the assistance as part of a broader obligation to the victims’ families while the SIT continues its probe.
- Incident: Stampede at Chorabagan Durga Puja pandal, October 17
- Fatalities: 19 people
- West Bengal victims: 17
- Bihar victims: 2 (Muzaffarpur)
- Assistance noted: Cheque of ₹25 lakh handed to Bikas Bhattacharya's family
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total deaths | 19 |
| From West Bengal | 17 |
| From Muzaffarpur (Bihar) | 2 |
| Assistance cited in ANI report | ₹25 lakh (cheque to Howrah family) |
Public safety questions and administrative response
The episode has renewed scrutiny of crowd control plans and the adequacy of safety arrangements at major religious and cultural events in the state. Local administration, police and festival organisers will face detailed examination once the SIT completes its inquiries and submits recommendations.
The state government has sought the Calcutta High Court’s involvement in structuring the investigatory response. The court’s consultation in constituting the SIT reflects the gravity of the event and the need for a high-level, coordinated probe.
Outlook
Families receiving cash assistance will still await the SIT findings for clarity on responsibility and any systemic lapses. The government’s on-the-ground visits by the Chief Minister and the dispatch of a minister to Muzaffarpur aim to demonstrate administrative attention to the victims’ families. The probe and any subsequent reforms to crowd management protocols will be watched closely by organisers across the state as Durga Puja and other mass gatherings remain integral to Bengal’s social calendar.
Reporting for this article is based on an ANI dispatch.
