At least three people lost their lives and dozens are critically injured following a stampede near Shri Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during the annual Rath Yatra on Sunday.
The condition of six out of 50 injured are very critical, hospital officials told PTI. Prithivi Raj Harichandan, Law Minister of Odisha said, “All arrangements made to provide best medical care to those injured in Odisha temple stampede”.
According to initial reports, the incident occurred around 4 to 5 am when the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosh, reached the premises of the Gundicha Temple. The crowd surge reportedly triggered the stampede, leading to chaos and injuries among the devotees gathered for the auspicious occasion.
As the three chariots of the deities reached their destination during the Rath Yatra in Puri, a massive crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannath and his siblings. The overwhelming rush caused the crowd control barriers to collapse, leading to a stampede-like situation. Several devotees were caught in the chaos and fell near the wheels of the chariots.
Three devotees lost their lives in the incident. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh in Khorda district, Premakanti Mohanty, and Prabhati Das from Athantara village under Balianta block.
Over 10 lakh gather, hundreds fall ill
According to the district administration, more than 10 lakh devotees gathered over the two days of the Rath Yatra celebrations. On Friday alone, the first day of the Yatra, crowd pressure intensified as over 10 lakh people participated in the festivities.
By late evening, around 625 people were reported to have fallen ill, particularly near Devi Subhadra’s chariot. On Saturday, despite a slight drop in attendance, estimated to be 10–20% lower—over 650 devotees experienced health issues. Of them, at least 70 were admitted to hospitals, with nine reported to be in critical condition.
Separate road accident claims lives of three women pilgrims
In a separate tragic incident on Saturday, three young women en route to Puri to participate in the Rath Yatra celebrations were killed in a road accident near Pipili. The accident occurred on a bridge along the highway connecting Bhubaneswar to the pilgrimage town.
Police said the women were riding a two-wheeler when they were struck by a motorcycle, causing them to fall onto the road. Moments later, a government bus ran them over. Two of the victims died on the spot, while the third succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to the Pipili Community Health Centre.