Two devotees died, over 150 injured in crowd surge during Puri Rath Yatra amid heavy rain

Two devotees lost their lives and more than 150 others were injured after a crowd surge occurred during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. The incident took place as lakhs of pilgrims gathered for the grand chariot festival, with continuous rainfall and heavy congestion adding to the challenges faced by devotees and authorities.

According to officials, the crowd surge occurred during the Pahandi procession, when the deities were ceremonially taken to their chariots. The combination of a large influx of pilgrims, narrow movement corridors and persistent rain led to overcrowding, leaving many devotees struggling to move through the packed Grand Road.

Emergency response teams, police personnel and medical staff rushed to the scene, providing first aid and shifting the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment. The Odisha government said the Rath Yatra continued despite the disruption and assured that the situation was brought under control.

The incident has renewed concerns over crowd management at major religious gatherings, particularly after a similar tragedy during last year's Rath Yatra. Authorities are expected to review safety arrangements and crowd-control measures for the remainder of the festival.