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Three Dead, Multiple Injured In Stampede During Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra In Puri
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Three people, including two women, lost their lives and 50 others were injured on Sunday (29 June) in a stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, India Today reported.
The stampede took place near Shree Gundicha Temple, roughly three kilometres from the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri.
At around 4.30 am on Sunday (29 June), the sacred chariots were at the Gundicha temple and a large crowd had gathered for a darshan.
The swelling crowd led to people falling over each other, triggering a stampede, NDTV reported.
Three people died on the spot—identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and 70-year-old Premakant Mohanty.
All three reportedly hailed from Odisha's Khurda district and had travelled to Puri to attend the Rath Yatra.
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said the bodies of the victims had been sent for autopsy and the examination would reveal the exact cause of death.
He said that adequate security arrangements were in place but the crowd unexpectedly spiraled out of control, leading to the tragedy.
During the Rath Yatra, three massive chariots carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are drawn by lakhs of devotees.
The holy chariots are taken to the Gundicha Temple.
After staying for a week at Gundicha Temple, the deities return to the Jagannath Temple.
