Seven arrested after Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills at least 19
publishers 44articles 145first reported 9 Oct, 03:30 UTCdeveloping since 9 Oct · 21 editionstop 25 #8
Kolkata Police arrested seven people on Sunday after a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbajanin Durga Puja pandal killed at least 19 people and injured 25, according to Indian media reports. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s latest official update put the death toll at 17.
The crush occurred at about 7:40 p.m. Saturday as rain prompted people waiting outside the north Kolkata pavilion to rush inside for shelter. A police official told AFP that the crowd began pushing forward after an announcement caused commotion. The Indian Express reported that a warning that the pavilion might collapse unless the crowd was controlled added to the confusion.
Those arrested include the Puja committee’s secretary and vice president, two security officials and a person responsible for construction work, police said. Fourteen people were initially detained for questioning. Police also opened a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and said further arrests were possible.
The state government plans to seek a sitting Calcutta High Court judge to oversee a special investigation team. Authorities closed the Chorbagan pavilion and temporarily shut several other heavily attended Puja sites while reviewing crowd conditions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of ₹200,000 for each victim’s family and ₹50,000 for each injured person. Adhikari announced ₹2.5 million and a government job for each bereaved family, along with ₹500,000 and medical costs for each injured person.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 8 with the publisher's own text; 5 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 228 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 44
- Source articles
- 145
- Given to the writer
- 8, 8 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 5
- This version written
- 228 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →