3 Killed, 50 Injured in Puri Rath Yatra; Odisha CM Orders Probe

At least three people were killed and 50 others were injured in a stampede that broke out at the Gundicha temple in Puri district of Odisha on Sunday morning during the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, officials said, adding that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered an inquiry into the incident and offered ex gratia of ₹25 lakh each to families of the deceased.

- Debabrata Mohanty

BHUBANESWAR:

The incident took place around 4 a.m. when several devotees converged near the temple, 3 km away from the main Jagannath temple, to witness the Rath Yatra festivities. Witnesses said that a crush was triggered after two trucks carrying Charamala wood for rituals entered the Saradhabal, a consecrated sandy open space in front of Gundicha temple, where a crowd of 1,500 devotees were waiting to catch a glimpse of the deities on chariots to be unveiled.

"People just fell over each other in a matter of seconds and many fell unconscious. I rushed to the information center seeking help, but they could not do anything," said Biswajit Das, husband of deceased Pravati Das, who was part of the crowd in Saradhabali.