Kolkata, Oct 27 Seventeen of the 30 CCTV cameras installed at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata were found to be non-functional, while footage recovered by investigators suggests that the stampede that claimed 19 lives unfolded within two to three minutes, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.
Of the three cameras installed near the exit, two were switched off, leaving investigators with footage from only one camera to examine the movement of visitors in the area, he said.
“Police have seized two digital video recorders (DVRs) from the pandal. One was meant to store footage from 14 cameras and the other from 16. However, recordings from only 13 cameras could be retrieved from one of the DVRs, while footage from the remaining cameras was unavailable,” he said.
“The available CCTV footage is crucial to our investigation. We are examining the recordings to understand how the crowd built up, how quickly the situation deteriorated and what steps were taken to manage the movement of visitors,” the officer said.
Investigators are analysing footage from four to five cameras simultaneously to piece together the sequence of events, he said.
“Particular attention is being paid to recordings from 7.15 pm to 7.30 pm on the day of the incident, which police believe could provide important clues about how the tragedy unfolded,” the officer said.
Incidentally, police have recorded statements from several eyewitnesses and personnel who were on duty at the time.
“According to eyewitness accounts, police personnel repeatedly urged visitors to leave the pandal and tried to prevent people outside from entering the already crowded structure. However, their appeals went largely unheeded,” he added.
Police found that some visitors near the exit reportedly hesitated to step outside because of the rain, while others continued pushing their way in, further aggravating the congestion inside the enclosed structure, the officer said.
Forensic experts have told investigators that severe overcrowding may have caused an oxygen shortage inside the pandal, potentially contributing to suffocation-related deaths and illnesses, he said.
As part of the investigation, police are questioning artist Sushanta Shibani Pal to understand the design and layout of the pandal.
In fact, police teams from Lalbazar have visited Medinipur, Chakdaha in Nadia district and South 24 Parganas to speak to the families of those who were killed in the incident.
“Our officers have focused on relatives of victims who were present at the Chorbagan pandal on the evening of Maha Saptami,” he said, adding that officers have also spoken to the 25 people injured in the incident.
The role of private security personnel deployed at the pandal is also under scrutiny, he said.
“The guards were reportedly recruited from among local youths by members of the puja committee rather than through a specialised security agency,” the officer added.
(PTI News)
