Puri: What began as a sacred morning of devotion turned tragic on Sunday, June 29, when a stampede near Puri’s Gundicha Temple left three devotees dead and several others injured during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra.
The incident occurred between 4:00 and 5:00 am at Saradhabali, as a heavy crowd of weekend pilgrims gathered to catch a glimpse of the deities on their chariots.
The deceased were identified as Premakanta Mohanty (80), Basanti Sahoo (36), and Prabhati Das (42), officials from the Puri district headquarters hospital confirmed.
Eyewitnesses said the situation spiralled when two trucks carrying wooden logs attempted to enter the already packed area. “The narrow congregation site, combined with limited police presence and scattered palm-log ladders near the chariots, created hazardous conditions for devotees,” said Chinmay Patra, who witnessed the stampede unfold, as quoted by The Times of India.
Sunday’s stampede is the first fatal one recorded outside the Gundicha Temple.
Government Response and Medical Emergency
Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan offered his condolences and announced a high-level inquiry. “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.
Meanwhile, health services remain overwhelmed. On Saturday alone, around 750 devotees were hospitalised due to exhaustion and crowd pressure. Of these, over 230 were treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital, and another 520 at the Puri district hospital.
While most were discharged after first aid, one critically ill devotee was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. At least 12 patients are still in intensive care.
