Kolkata stampede: Locals blame heavy rush, rainfall and shortage of volunteers

Relatives mourn the death of their family members killed in the stampede on Saturday. PIC/PTI

Lack of crowd management and misleading announcements following a sudden downpour during Saptami celebrations may have triggered panic among visitors, leading to a stampede , a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Police also found that the number of police personnel and private security guards deployed at the venue was inadequate, worsening the situation.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has brought under the investigation scanner temporary home guards deployed for duty at a Kolkata puja pandal.

Meanwhile, the locals said sudden rainfall , narrow space, heavy rush of visitors and lack of adequate volunteers and police for crowd management contributed to the stampede.