Puri rath yatra hit by tragedy

One person died and many others fell ill in a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra (chariot procession) celebrations in Odisha’s Puri on Thursday, official sources said. Another person died in what the authorities said was a “separate and unrelated incident”. They said the person died of cardiac arrest.

Lakhs of devotees joined the annual Rath Yatra festival in the seaside temple town. The Pahandi ritual, the ceremonial procession of the sibling deities — Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath — is currently underway. Health department officials were yet to react to the death and injuries.

Inspector General Fire Services Umashaknar Dash said there was a heavy rush of people at Grand Road or Bada Danda, on which the chariots roll down to Shree Gundicha Temple, considered the birthplace of the deities.

“So far, we have rescued almost 100 people who felt suffocated in the crowd. We have taken them to temporary hospitals and ambulances. That has given relief to devotees,” Dash told reporters. Meanwhile, BJD president Naveen Patnaik said he was saddened by the news of the “loss of lives” at Bada Danda during Rath Yatra.

“I pray for the eternal peace of the souls of the devotees who have lost their lives and for the swift recovery of the more than a hundred injured devotees,” the former chief minister said in a social media post. Patnaik, the leader of the Opposition, also asked his party men to extend full cooperation to provide assistance to everyone.

“I hope that the State Government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds,” the BJD president said.

Three people were killed, and several others were injured in a stampede near the Gundicha temple, considered the birthplace of the sibling deities, during last year’s Rath Yatra.