Stampede During Rath Yatra in Puri Leaves 3 Dead, Dozens Injured

Odisha: At least three people have died and 50 others have been injured in a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during the ongoing Rath Yatra on Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 4:00 AM when the crowd near the temple grew too large, overwhelming the area.

The victims have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, and six of them remain in critical condition. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for postmortem, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the stampede.

This incident follows several other issues during the Rath Yatra procession, including a stampede-like situation and heat exhaustion on June 27, which left over 700 devotees hospitalised.

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had raised concerns earlier about the crowd management for this year’s event, criticizing the state government for inadequate preparations.

One of the most notable delays occurred with the Nandighosha chariot, which could not move forward due to the large crowd surrounding it. The chariot remained stuck at Singhadwar until 7:45 PM, moving only a few meters before the end of the day. Patnaik criticized the delay, stating: “This year, we witnessed the Nandighosha ratha still standing at Singhadwar until 7:45 PM, only to move a few meters before the day ended. Many devotees, including those who came from abroad, were left disappointed, and hundreds got injured due to poor crowd management.”

Patnaik also referenced reports suggesting that ministers in the state government had given entry passes to a large number of their supporters, which further contributed to the delays and chaos surrounding the procession.

The state government has yet to make a formal statement regarding the stampede, but the issue of crowd control and event management is expected to remain a focal point in the coming days. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.