A stampede broke out following sudden rain at a Hindu festival in India, leaving 19 people dead and 25 others injured.

According to AFP and China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the stampede occurred on the 17th local time at the "Durga Puja" Hindu festival venue in Kolkata, West Bengal, eastern India.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that 19 people, including a 7-year-old girl, were killed and 25 others were injured in the accident, adding that one of the injured is in critical condition.

A senior local police official told AFP, "A commotion broke out after it started raining at night," explaining, "The crowd began pushing, pulling, and rushing forward, causing people to fall to the ground and resulting in a stampede."

According to the Indian media outlet The Indian Express, footage filmed before the accident the previous day showed massive crowds crammed into an area featuring a narrow passageway where only a few people could enter at a time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement posted on social media, "It is deeply tragic," and expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

Indian police have secured CCTV footage from the festival site and detained 10 people, including event organizers and private security personnel, to further investigate the exact circumstances of the accident.

Chief Minister Adhikari said, "There were some shortcomings in the preparation process by the event organizers," and added, "Anyone found negligent will face legal action."

Durga Puja is Kolkata's largest festival honoring the Hindu goddess Durga.

During this festival period, countless devotees are known to flock to "pandals," which are temporary structures housing the image of Durga.

India, home to 1.47 billion people, is the most populous country in the world, and stampedes frequently occur when crowds gather in public places such as religious facilities and festival venues.

In January of last year, a stampede at the "Kumbh Mela," the world's largest religious and Hindu festival, killed more than 30 people, and in June of the same year, hundreds of thousands of people thronged a celebration for the championship victory of cricket, India's most popular sport, leaving 11 dead and over 40 injured.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)