The crush unfolded at 7:40 pm near the exit of the Chorbagan pandal, as rain battered the eastern side of north‑Kolkata.
Nineteen bodies were recovered, and 25 others were rushed to hospitals, eight of whom were in critical condition.
West Bengal Police have opened a formal inquiry, with the commission set to inspect crowd‑control measures and the pandal’s layout.
The state has poured Rs 524 crore into Durga Puja assistance this fiscal year, yet none of that sum is earmarked for safety infrastructure.
National Crime Records Bureau data shows 307 people died in stampedes nationwide from 2017 to 2024, 147 of those in 2024 alone—a 48% spike.
A vendor who lost a child in the chaos says the crowd flowed like a tidal wave, and he fears future festivals will end in tragedy.
The safety review panel will meet on October 25, with a report due to the state legislature by November 5.