Puri Rath Yatra: One killed, over 100 devotees faint amid massive crowd
NEW DELHI: One devotee died and more than 100 others reportedly fell ill during a temporary crowd surge at the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, officials said.However, officials claimed that there was no stampede during the Rath Yatra. According to official sources, a temporary crowd surge caused seven devotees to feel unwell.
They were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment. One male devotee, aged above 60, later died, while the exact cause of his death is being ascertained by medical authorities.In a separate and unrelated incident, a 35-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite receiving medical attention.Earlier reports and local accounts had claimed that more than 100 devotees had fallen ill or fainted amid the heavy rush of pilgrims.
However, officials maintained that the overall situation in Puri remained normal and urged people not to spread unverified information."There has been no stampede in Puri. A temporary crowd surge resulted in seven devotees feeling unwell. They were immediately attended to by the authorities and shifted to the hospital for prompt medical care.
The overall situation in Puri is normal. Adequate crowd management measures are in place, and devotees are requested to remain calm, follow the directions of the police and administration, and avoid spreading or believing unverified information," official sources said, PTI reported. Emergency rescue teams and security personnel rushed to the spot, evacuating several people on stretchers and providing immediate medical assistance as the crowd swelled near the Singhadwara of the Jagannath Temple.The incident occurred as the world-famous Rath Yatra began with lakhs of devotees lining the Grand Road (Badadanda) to witness the deities being taken out in the traditional Pahandi procession.Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in a post on X 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. I hope that the state government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds."Following centuries-old rituals, Lord Sudarshan was brought out first, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
After ceremonial rituals, including the Chhera Pahanra performed by Puri's Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, devotees began pulling the three chariots towards the Gundicha Temple at around 2 pm.Last year, the Jagannath Rath Yatra was marred by a deadly stampede near the Gundicha Temple in Puri. Three devotees were killed and more than 50 others were injured after chaos broke out between 4 am and 5 am as thousands of pilgrims had gathered for the rituals.
The stampede was triggered when two ritual trucks entered an already congested area, leading to panic among devotees.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.