New Delhi, Oct 18. (dpa/GNA) – The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu festival in the Indian city of Kolkata has risen to 19, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Sunday.
Adhikari also told journalists in Kolkata, that 25 people who were injured in the incident were still in hospital.
The Hindu newspaper reported on Sunday that the dead included four children and 13 women.
The incident happened on Saturday evening at an exit of a pavilion set up for the festival, where a large crowd had gathered.
Indian media reports said many people had sought shelter there from a rain shower. The Hindu, citing Adhikari, reported that panic broke out among the crowd, after a misleading announcement.
The news magazine India Today quoted a police officer as saying there was footage, in which a warning of a possible collapse of the pavilion was mentioned.
According to media reports, several people, including festival organizers and employees of a private security company, have been detained as part of an investigation.
The Durga Puja festival, honouring the Hindu goddess Durga, is being celebrated in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal from October 16 to 21.
GNA