Puri: A tragic stampede during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri early Sunday morning has left at least three people dead and around 50 others injured. The incident occurred near Saradhabali, close to the Gundicha Temple, where the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are stationed.
The stampede reportedly took place around 4 AM on June 29, as a massive crowd gathered to participate in the auspicious festival. Eyewitness accounts and initial reports suggest that inadequate crowd control and insufficient police arrangements contributed to the chaos.
According to officials, the situation escalated when two trucks carrying ritual materials attempted to enter the densely packed area near the chariots. This triggered panic and a stampede-like situation, leading to casualties.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the condition of six individuals is reported to be critical. The deceased have been identified as Pravati Das (52) of Balipatna, Basanti Sahu (42) of Godabhanga, and Premakanta Mohanty (78) of Bhubaneswar. Postmortem examinations are underway.
One of the victims’ family members criticized the emergency response. “When this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team,” the husband of one of the deceased told ANI.
Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a high-level inquiry. “The tragedy involving three deaths has deeply saddened us. We will conduct a thorough investigation, and appropriate action will be taken against those whose negligence led to this unfortunate incident,” he said.
This marks yet another deadly crowd-related tragedy in the country, raising fresh concerns about safety and preparedness during large-scale religious gatherings.
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