Rath Yatra: Stampede at Puri's Gundicha temple kills 3 people, several injured

A festive weekend turned tragic in Puri on Sunday morning when a stampede at Saradhabali, near the Gundicha Temple, resulted in the deaths of at least three people and left many more injured. The deceased have been identified as Premakanta Mohanty (80), Basanti Sahoo (36), and Prabhati Das (42), according to officials at the Puri district headquarters hospital.

The stampede occurred between 4:00 am and 5:00 am when a massive crowd of devotees had gathered to see the deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—on their grand chariots. The chariots had arrived at Saradhabali from the main Jagannath Temple on Saturday, following the annual Rath Yatra procession. This location, a sandy open space in front of the Gundicha Temple, is a crucial spot where the chariots halt during the festival.

Eyewitnesses reported that the already dense crowd situation worsened dramatically when two trucks carrying wooden logs attempted to enter the congested area. This sudden movement within the narrow congregation site created a panic, leading to a surge of people.

Chinmay Patra, an eyewitness, described the hazardous conditions, stating, “The narrow congregation site, combined with limited police presence and scattered palm-log ladders near the chariots, created hazardous conditions for devotees.” The overwhelming crowd, coupled with the obstacles, proved to be a lethal combination.

In the wake of the tragedy, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan expressed his deep condolences and announced a high-level inquiry into the incident. He assured the public that the government would take swift action against anyone found responsible for negligence. "The tragedy involving three deaths has deeply saddened us. We will conduct a thorough investigation, and appropriate action will be taken against those whose negligence led to this unfortunate incident,” he said.