3 die at crowded festival in Bengal

10L throng at Mahotsabtala off Hooghly river

At least three devotees including an aged couple died while 50 others fell ill due to suffocation during a stampede-like situation at an overcrowded festival in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal on Sunday. The festival at Panihati was shut down by the state administration after the incident.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Distressed to know of 3 old devotees’ death due to heat and humidity in Danda Mahotsav at ISKCON temple at Panihati. CP and DM have rushed, all help being provided. My condolences to the bereaved families, solidarity to devotees.”

The deceased were Subhash Chandra Pal (70), his wife Shukla Pal (58) and their relative Chaya Das (70). They were from Jogeshwarpur at Purbasthali in Burdwan East. Those who fell unconscious were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

They were among the lakhs of pilgrims who had thronged the 500-year-old festival at Mahotsabtala off river Hooghly where Doi Chire Utsob is celebrated to mark the meeting of Srila

Raghunatha Dasa Goswami with Mahaprabhu Chaitanya who had Doi (curd) and Chire (flattened rice) during his visit there.

Barrackpore police commissioner Manoj Verma, who visited the spot, said, “Our arrangements were adequate at the venue. But the humid temperature affected the devotees.”

State forest minister and Trinamul Congress district chief Jyotipriyo Mullick however said, “A crowd of 2 lakh devotees was expected. But it went upto 10 lakhs. We can not ask them to leave as religious sentiments are associated with the event.”