Kolkata, Oct 17 “My mother died before my eyes; I too might not have survived,” said 25-year-old Sonu Pal, still in shock after his mother died in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in the rain-soaked city on Saturday evening.
His mother was among the 19 people who died in the incident on Saturday evening. About 25 others were injured.
Pal, a resident of Kumortuli, had gone to see the puja with his mother when a sudden downpour began.
“It was raining outside, and nobody wanted to step outside. People who were standing at the entrance to escape the rain kept pushing to get in,” he said.
Pal said the pressure soon became unbearable. “Unable to handle the pressure, everybody inside fell on one another,” he recounted.
He said he, too, was caught in the pile-up. “I was also trapped under the crowd. I somehow managed to steady myself and went to my mother, but she was dead,” Pal said.
The incident took place around 7.40 pm in the Girish Park police station area. Kolkata Police said all the injured were taken to Medical College and Hospital.
Grieving relatives of those who died in the stampede also asked who would take responsibility for the deaths.
Speaking to reporters, the family members said they had been asked to come on Sunday morning at 10 to collect the bodies.
“We will collect the body, but who will take the responsibility? Where were the police and the administration?” questioned Sunny, a neighbour of one of the victims.
Recalling the last conversation with his deceased sister, who was aged around 30, a man said he was planning her wedding.
“She is gone today. Who will take the responsibility for this?” asked Shubham Sonkar, whose sister had gone pandal hopping with family members.
“Others in the group were not hurt, but my sister is no more,” he said.
Another relative alleged poor crowd management at Chorebagan compared to other puja pandals in the city.
John Rahman, a neighbour of an affected family, said the relatives were angry.
“Who will take the responsibility? Will the organisers take it, or the administration? They will have to answer,” he said.
(PTI News)
