‘Pahandi’ procession, packed Grand Road and surging crowds: What led to the stampede scare at Puri Rath Yatra

One devotee died and more than 100 others were rescued after a temporary crowd surge during the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, prompting a large-scale emergency response amid lakhs of pilgrims gathered for the festival.

According to PTI, the deceased died during the crowd surge. In a separate, unrelated incident, another devotee suffered a cardiac arrest and died, officials said.

Also Read: Puri Rath Yatra stampede: One dead, 33 devotees rescued after crowd surge near Jagannath Temple


The congestion occurred as devotees thronged the Grand Road (Bada Danda) and the Singhadwara area to witness the Rath Yatra and the Pahandi ritual, during which Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath are ceremonially brought out of the sanctum sanctorum and placed on their respective chariots before the procession begins.

As the crowd swelled, devotees packed the Grand Road surrounding the chariots, leaving little room for movement. Emergency responders and security personnel struggled to create passages for ambulances while rescue teams evacuated distressed devotees from the densely packed areas.

Earlier in the day, ANI reported that several devotees were carried out on stretchers from near the Singhadwara, the main entrance to the Jagannath Temple, after suffering from suffocation and exhaustion due to the heavy rush.

Those affected were shifted to temporary hospitals and ambulances set up along the route for treatment.

Inspector General of Fire Services Umashankar Dash said rescue teams responded immediately after the heavy crowding on the Grand Road, where the chariots travel towards the Shree Gundicha Temple.

"So far, we have rescued almost 100 people who felt suffocated in the crowd. We have taken them to temporary hospitals and ambulances. That has given relief to devotees," Dash told reporters, reported TOI.

Officials said the emergency unfolded as lakhs of devotees gathered for the annual festival, one of the country's largest religious events, leading to severe congestion around the chariots and key access points.

The incident has once again put the spotlight on crowd management arrangements at the festival. Last year, three people were killed and several others were injured in a stampede near the Gundicha Temple during the Rath Yatra.

Reacting to Thursday's incident, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also urged the Odisha government to strengthen crowd management measures and ensure the safety of devotees participating in the festival.

With inputs from TOI