Desk report: At least 17 people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at a religious festival in north Kolkata in India, NDTV reported on Saturday.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival of Hindus in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, draws thousands of devotees to temporary structures known as pandals, which house idols of the goddess Durga.
The incident occurred at the exit gate in Kolkata’s Girish Park area after heavy rain led to overcrowding as large numbers of devotees attempted to leave the venue, local TV said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, in a post on social media platform X, announced a compensation payment of 200,000 rupees (nearly Tk 259,000) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees (nearly Tk 64,700) each for the injured.
