Two dead, over 100 injured in stampede-like chaos during Puri Rath Yatra

A day of devotion and celebration at Odisha's iconic Jagannath Rath Yatra turned tragic on Thursday after two devotees died and around 100 others were injured following a temporary crowd surge amid rain-soaked conditions in Puri, casting a shadow over one of India's largest religious gatherings.

Lakhs of devotees had assembled along the Grand Road (Bada Danda) to witness the ceremonial pulling of the towering chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra when panic briefly gripped sections of the crowd.

According to the chief minister's office (CMO), seven devotees fell seriously ill during the festival and were immediately shifted to hospital.

"Among them, one male devotee aged above 60 years unfortunately succumbed. The exact cause of death is being ascertained by the concerned authorities," the CMO said in a statement.

In a separate and unrelated incident, another male devotee aged above 35 years suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite immediate medical intervention, the statement added.

Officials said around 100 devotees sustained injuries or suffered health complications during the crowd surge, with nearly 50 admitted to hospitals for treatment. Emergency personnel, volunteers and police rushed to evacuate the injured as confusion briefly engulfed the festival route.

Television visuals showed devotees being carried to ambulances while slippers, bags and other personal belongings lay scattered across the rain-drenched road, reflecting the chaos that followed the sudden surge.

Authorities have not officially established the cause of the incident and said a detailed assessment is underway.

The tragedy triggered political reactions, with former Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik expressing grief over the deaths and calling for stronger crowd management measures.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives among devotees in the stampede at Badadanda during Rath Yatra. I pray for the eternal peace of the souls of the devotees who have lost their lives and for the swift recovery of the more than a hundred injured devotees," Patnaik posted on X.

Urging the government to strengthen safety arrangements, he said, "I hope that the state government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds." He also said BJD workers would extend all possible assistance to those affected.

The Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of India's most revered religious festivals, attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across the country and abroad every year, making crowd management one of the biggest logistical challenges for the administration.

The latest tragedy has also revived memories of last year's Rath Yatra, when a stampede caused by alleged crowd management failures and logistical lapses claimed three lives and injured more than 50 devotees, renewing concerns over safety arrangements at one of India's largest annual religious congregations.

With agency inputs