One devotee died and more than 30 others were hospitalised after a crowd crush during the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Thursday, according to The Indian Express. The report said a 45-year-old devotee allegedly fell unconscious due to heavy congestion on the Grand Road and was rushed to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Hospital sources said the condition of most of the injured devotees was stable. Additional healthcare personnel were deployed, while senior officials closely monitored the situation.
Despite heavy rain, lakhs of devotees from across Odisha and other parts of the country gathered in Puri to witness the world-famous Rath Yatra. During the festival, the deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were taken in grand chariots from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to the Shree Gundicha Temple, about 2.6 km away in all respectful religious fervour.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu greeted the nation on the occasion. In a message on X, the Prime Minister described the Rath Yatra as “a radiant expression of India’s timeless spiritual and cultural heritage” and prayed for the health, happiness and prosperity of all. President Murmu also extended her greetings and prayed for peace and prosperity in the country.
The Odisha government had deployed around 13,000 personnel, including state police, central armed forces, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival. Special arrangements were also made to tackle waterlogging caused by heavy rain.
Security was tightened following last year’s stampede near the Gundicha Temple in which three people were killed and several others injured. Authorities had put in place an extensive crowd management and emergency response plan to prevent any untoward incident.
