Puri Rath Yatra stampede leaves around 100 devotees injured, one critical

A stampede during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri left around 100 devotees injured on Thursday, with one person reported to be in critical condition, according to preliminary reports.

The incident occurred on the Bada Danda (Grand Road), where lakhs of devotees had gathered to witness the ceremonial pulling of the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.

According to initial information, the crowd surge led to a stampede-like situation in which several devotees were injured. One devotee reportedly suffered suffocation and collapsed before being rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where the person remains in critical condition.

Several others who sustained injuries in the crowd crush were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Preliminary reports indicate that nearly 100 people were hurt, although officials are yet to confirm the final number of casualties or injuries.

Visuals from the site showed a devotee, who appeared to have fainted, being carried away by fellow pilgrims and taken for medical treatment as massive crowds packed the Grand Road during the procession.

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of India's largest religious festivals, drawing lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad every year. The annual procession sees the deities travel from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple in elaborately decorated wooden chariots.

The exact cause of the stampede has not yet been officially confirmed. Authorities are assessing the circumstances that led to the incident, and a detailed account is awaited.

Heavy security arrangements had been deployed across Puri to regulate the movement of devotees and ensure the smooth conduct of the yatra. Despite these measures, the sheer volume of pilgrims at the venue led to the crowd crush.