Catastrophic Rush At Jagannath Rath Yatra: Stampede-Like Situation Leaves 1 Dead, 120 Hospitalised In Puri

Puri: A stampeded-like situation erupted at the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. According to reports, the chaos left one person dead and as many as 120 devotees hospitalised. This comes as lakhs of devotees gathered at Grand Road (Badadanda) near the chariot procession.

Police and emergency response teams were deployed to the site.

According to local reports, a devotee fell unconscious due to suffocation and was rushed to a hospital. However, he was reportedly declared dead upon arrival.

A similar situation took place at the yatra last year, when three devotees, including two women, were killed, and at least 50 people were left injured.

33 Devotees Rescued

As many as 33 devotees were rescued in Puri on Thursday from massive crowd congestion at the Jagannath Rath Yatra. The injured people were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Police said, “The Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services has safely rescued 33 devotees from heavy crowd congestion since this morning. The rescued devotees were immediately provided with first aid and oxygen support before being shifted to nearby hospitals for further medical care.”

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier reviewed the preparedness of the authorities for the procession, saying, “The service and safety of devotees who come to have darshan of Mahaprabhu during the world-famous Ratha Yatra is our government's topmost priority.” 

He had stated that to ensure that the yatra is accident-free and smooth, extensive health and safety arrangements have been made, including over a hundred special trains, large-scale temporary hospitals with state-of-the-art monitoring, and advanced ambulances.

‘Saddened By The News’: Naveen Patnaik

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the loss of life at the stampede and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

In a post on X, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives among devotees in the stampede at Badadanda during Rath Yatra. I pray for the eternal peace of the souls of the devotees who have lost their lives and for the swift recovery of the more than a hundred injured devotees."

“In this hour of grief, all workers of the Biju Janata Dal will extend their full cooperation to provide assistance to everyone,” Patnik said, adding that he hopes that the state government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds.

Jagannath Rath Yatra

The grand Jagannath Rath Yatra is an ancient Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually in Puri, Odisha. During the yatra, devotees pull the colossal, decorated wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Devi Subhadra from the main temple to the Gundicha Temple.