Kolkata, Oct 26: Footage from 16 of the 32 CCTV cameras installed around the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata was found to be unavailable following the stampede on October 17 that killed 19 people and injured 25, a senior police official said, according to reports.

Source: GyanhiGyan

"We have 32 CCTVs installed around the pandal, but we could not retrieve footage from 16 of them. This recording is crucial to understand how the stampede occurred," the official said, adding that every effort was being made to recover the footage from those 16 cameras.

Source: GyanhiGyan

The Special Investigation Team of Kolkata Police has summoned pandal theme artist Sushanta Sibani Paul for interrogation on October 28 at Lalbazar, and has also summoned three eyewitnesses to record their statements, IANS reported. Investigators want to examine the pandal's design and whether defects or limitations in its layout left insufficient space for the massive crowds, a city police official told IANS.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

Police have also summoned 12 personnel who were present at the site during the incident, and the actions of officers stationed at entry and exit points are being examined, reports said. So far, police have arrested nine individuals in connection with the stampede and recorded statements from approximately 60 people, including several injured, home guards, civic volunteers, private security staff and local residents.

Source: GyanhiGyan

The initial investigation suggested that a misleading announcement warning that the pandal had collapsed and urging people to evacuate was one of the major factors behind the panic, IANS reported. The incident occurred amid heavy rain on October 17, when devotees waiting outside attempted to enter while many inside were reluctant to leave because of the weather.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA