The horrific stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojonin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata has shattered the dreams of several families forever. In this tragic accident, 27-year-old Sreeparna Poddar, a resident of Baidyabati in Hooghly district, lost her life. Being the only child of her parents, Sreeparna had left home smiling on Saturday morning to go to work. No one had ever imagined in their wildest dreams that their cheerful daughter, who had gone to visit the Durga Puja pandal with her friends, would never return home.
The 27-year-old Sreeparna Poddar was the sole hope and support of her family. Sreeparna Poddar resided in the Malir Bagan area located in Ward Number 18 of the Baidyabati Municipality in Hooghly district. Her father's name is Shambhunath Poddar. Sc. Nursing studies, Sreeparna was serving as a nurse at the Tata Cancer Center. On Saturday morning, she left for her duty just like every other day. She had planned with her friends to visit the idol at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata after finishing her work.
Sreeparna lost her life during the sudden accident that occurred amidst torrential rain and a massive crowd at the Chorbagan pandal. Having gone to witness the puja with her friends, Sreeparna fell down amidst the heavy pressure of the crowd and chaos, and was trampled. Immediately after the accident, Sreeparna's friend informed the family about this unfortunate incident. Upon receiving the news, her weeping parents and local residents immediately rushed toward the Kolkata Medical College.
As soon as the news of Sreeparna's death spread, a wave of deep grief engulfed the entire Malir Bagan area. Everyone at home and in the neighborhood lovingly called Sreeparna 'Sonai'. Their tenant, Rimpa Das, tearfully stated that Sonai had left the house in the morning smiling while mentioning that she was going to see the deity, and at night the news of her death arrived. Neighbor Haridas shared that Sreeparna was an extremely kind and cheerful girl. Being a professional nurse, whenever anyone fell ill in the neighborhood, she was always the first to rush over to help.
Upon receiving the news of this major tragedy, administrative and political figures quickly expressed their condolences. As soon as the incident was reported, Chapdani MLA Dilip Singh and a police team from the Sheoraphuli outpost arrived at Sreeparna's residence. However, even before the MLA could arrive, Shambhunath Poddar and his wife had already left for Kolkata Medical College to collect the mortal remains of their daughter. Following the departure of their only daughter, profound mourning has gripped the Poddar family.