Puri, Odisha
A tragic stampede during the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri claimed the lives of at least three devotees and left over 50 others injured early Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 4–4:30 am near the Sri Gundicha Temple, where large crowds had gathered for darshan of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
According to eyewitnesses, chaos erupted when two trucks carrying ritual materials attempted to move through the densely packed area near the chariots. Devotees were caught off guard in the narrow space, and the resulting commotion led to several people falling and getting trampled. The stampede took place at Saradhabali, right in front of the temple, where Lord Jagannath was seated on the chariot.
Among the deceased are Prativa Das (52), Premakanta Mohanty (78), and Basanti Sahu (42), all residents of Khurda district. Their bodies have been handed over to family members, and the cremations will take place at Swargadwar in Puri.
Of the 50 injured, at least six are reported to be in critical condition, with one shifted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack and five others in intensive care at local medical facilities. Health officials confirmed that some of the victims remain unconscious.
This marks the first fatal stampede incident reported at the Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra in recent history. The Odisha government has announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
Government Response and Administrative Shake-Up
In response to the tragedy, the state government has ordered a high-level inquiry led by the Development Commissioner. Alleging serious negligence, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik termed the lapses in crowd control as “unpardonable.”
As a result, the government has transferred Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal. Chanchal Rana, Khurda’s District Collector, will now take charge as the new Collector of Puri. Pinak Mishra, currently ADG (Crime), will assume the post of Puri Superintendent of Police. Two DCPs—Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi—have also been suspended pending investigation.
Eyewitness Accounts Highlight Poor Crowd Management
Several locals and devotees have pointed out serious lapses in crowd management. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a resident who was present near the temple until late Saturday night, said,
“The arrangements were visibly weak. A special exit was arranged for VIPs, while common devotees were rerouted to a distant exit. Many tried to exit through the entrance itself, causing overcrowding and panic.”
Condolences and Reactions
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati called the stampede “deeply unfortunate” and extended condolences to the grieving families.
Chief Minister Patnaik also issued a heartfelt statement:
“Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Saradhabali, an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. Personally, I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees.”“We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were extinguished at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow,” he added.
An investigation is currently underway to identify the exact causes and accountability behind the stampede.
