Puri stampede: 2 officials reassigned after 3 dead, 50 hurt during Rath Yatra

At least three individuals lost their lives and 50 more sustained injuries in a stampede close to Sri Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. The event took place early Sunday morning, at approximately 4-4:30 am within a large crowd.

As per Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, the event occurred while numerous devotees were assembled near the Shree Gundicha Temple for darshan. The audience abruptly surged forward, resulting in a stampede-like scenario. Emergency responders arrived promptly, and the wounded were transported to Puri District Hospital. Six of them are in a critical state.

The individuals have been recognized as Prativa Das Female (52), Premakanta Mohanty (78), and Basanti Sahu (42), all living in Khurda district. Their remains have been dispatched for autopsy.  The event occurred close to Saradhabali, in front of the temple, where the chariot held Lord Jagannath. The audience turned unruly during the darshan, and amid the confusion, numerous individuals fell and were crushed.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident. “We are looking into what triggered the rush and whether there were any lapses in crowd control,” said an official.

In response to the incident, the state government has reassigned Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agarwal and District Magistrate Siddhartha Shankar Swain, while a thorough investigation continues. Senior officer Pinak Mishra, presently ADG (Crime), will return as the SP of Puri, while Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana will assume the role of the new District Magistrate.

Majhi additionally declared the suspension of two police officials, DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi, as per an official statement. Numerous political figures, such as Odisha’s Chief Minister, Rahul Gandhi and Naveen Patnaik, have responded to the stampede that occurred in Puri.

Hours after the incident, Odisha Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow and said, “Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, 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.

Calling the incident a result of serious negligence, the Chief Minister declared it “unforgivable” and ordered a prompt investigation into the security lapses. “Strict and exemplary action will be taken against those found responsible,” he added

BJD President Naveen Patnaik criticised the state government and said that the stampede near the Gundicha Temple in Puri showed its glaring failure to ensure a safe and orderly Rath Yatra for devotees.

Former Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik posted on X, “Today’s stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the #RathYatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees,” the Leader of Opposition in Odisha assembly said.

Rahul Gandhi expressed deep condolences to families affected by the Puri stampede and wished speedy recovery for the injured. “I appeal to the Odisha government to expedite relief efforts and urge Congress workers to provide every possible assistance in this regard,” Gandhi said in a post. He also said that there is a need for serious review of security and crowd management at large events to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Senior Daitapati servitor (sevayat) of the Puri Jagannath Temple, Ramakrishna Das Mahapatra, also expressed grief over the deaths and said, “I have heard that some people have died, it is sad news. This has happened for the first time. I appeal to the administration to make good arrangements so that people do not face any inconvenience.”

Approximately one million followers took part in the yearly Rath Yatra as the magnificent chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra were drawn through the streets of Puri. The gods are brought to the Gundicha Temple, where they reside for a week prior to returning to the Jagannath Temple. Previously, on Saturday, Sanjay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Odisha, mentioned that they anticipate approximately 10 to 12 lakh visitors to assemble in Puri.