Tragedy struck the sacred precincts of Puri’s Gundicha Temple during the ongoing Rath Yatra celebrations, as a stampede claimed the lives of three devotees and left more than 50 injured in the early hours today. The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the ‘Pahuda’ ritual (night-time closing of the chariots) was completed, triggering a massive surge in the crowd.
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, addressing the media, stated:
“As soon as the Pahuda was opened, there was a sudden surge in the crowd. Nine devotees complained of breathlessness and were immediately shifted to the hospital. While three of them died, the others are stable now. The autopsy of the deceased is being conducted, and the exact cause of death will be known once the post-mortem reports are out.”
While district officials maintained that security arrangements were in place, eyewitnesses and devotees alleged serious lapses in crowd management. One of the injured devotees claimed, “There was no protection, no discipline, and no one managing the crowd.”
A police officer present at the site admitted the intensity of the rush:
“There was a huge rush. After ‘Pahuda’, people gathered in large numbers. Those who died were sitting at the spot when the mishap occurred.”
However, in contrast to public grievances, Puri SP refuted the absence of law enforcement, saying, “There was police deployment in place. Detailed facts will be known after a full investigation.”
The incident has cast a shadow over the otherwise spiritually charged Rath Yatra in Puri, attended annually by lakhs of devotees from around the world. While the administration awaits autopsy results for clarity on the cause of death, calls for accountability and improved crowd control measures are rising, especially in light of past warnings about overcrowding during major rituals.
Authorities have promised a thorough investigation, but public confidence remains shaken as families of the deceased and injured await justice and reassurance.
