Religious festival crush in Kolkata kills 17: reports

A crush at a religious festival in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata has killed at least 17 people and injured dozens, local media reports say.

Durga Puja, a multi-day annual Hindu festival in the state of West Bengal, draws huge crowds to temporary structures known as pandals that house idols of the goddess Durga.

The incident occurred at the exit gate in Kolkata's Girish Park area after heavy rain led to overcrowding as large numbers of devotees attempted to leave the venue, local TV said.

The Hindu newspaper, citing West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, reported that panic broke out among the crowd after a misleading announcement.

Numerous visitors lost consciousness in the crush, an eyewitness told India Today, which reported that some of them had been taken away on motorbikes.

The Durga Puja festival is being celebrated in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal from October 16 to 21.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, in a post on social media platform X, announced a compensation payment of 200,000 rupees ($A3,000) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees each for the injured.