Puri stampede: Three dead, over 50 injured; Odisha govt transfers collector, SP, suspends two cops

Three devotees, including two women, lost their lives and six others sustained injuries in a stampede that broke out in front of the Gundicha Temple in Puri during the early hours of Sunday. The incident occurred between 3:30 am and 4:30 am after the chariot-pulling ritual of the Rath Yatra concluded and all three chariots were parked in front of the Gundicha Temple.

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According to officials, two victims died on the spot, while the third succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Puri Collector Sidharth Shankar Swain confirmed the deaths to the media, stating that six others were admitted to the Puri district headquarters hospital. Three of them have since been discharged.

The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) of Bolagarh, Pravati Das (45) of Balipatna, and Prema Kant Mohanty (78) of Khurda.

The tragedy unfolded when the morning rituals known as pahada bhanga began, drawing a sudden surge of devotees eager to catch a glimpse of the deities atop the chariots. The crowd swelled in front of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, Nandighosa, resulting in people falling over each other in the chaos.

Eyewitnesses reported that local residents were the first to respond, helping transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Several people slammed the poor crowd control measures in place, especially given the overnight congregation of pilgrims. The situation spiraled out of control when the pahada bhanga ritual commenced.

Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan is reported to have briefed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on the incident, while Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania rushed to Puri to assess the situation.