Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Puri: Tragedy like situation again in Puri during the Rath Yatra. There was no space to step on the Grand Road (Bara Danda) due to the crowd of devotees, at that moment the accident happened. A stampede-like situation was created in the blink of an eye due to the rush of devotees of Jagannath Dev. According to initial information, many devotees fell ill due to excessive crowding and jostling. At least 200 of them are currently admitted to the hospital with breathing problems and various physical problems. According to sources, one devotee has already died in this incident. However, till the time of publishing this report, no information about the death has been received from the Odisha administration or the concerned authorities.
Within a few moments of the incident, wailing started among the devotees. After receiving the news of the incident, multiple teams of Special Rescue Unit (SRU) quickly reached the spot and started rescue work. The rescue team evacuated the sick devotees to a safe place and admitted them to the Puri Medical College and Hospital in ambulances. Hospital sources said that a team of doctors is treating the injured and sick. However, no complaint has been filed yet. Incidentally, the administration was aware that a large crowd would gather for a big religious festival like Rath Yatra. As a result, the situation is being closely monitored. Additional police have been deployed to control the crowd and emergency services have also been strengthened. Pilgrims have been requested not to panic and follow the administration's instructions. It is learnt that more than 13,000 police personnel, as well as 15 companies of central armed forces including NSG, RAF, CRPF and BSF personnel, have been deployed across Puri. The Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Odisha Police have also started joint patrols along the coast, and quick response teams have been deployed in case of emergencies.
The entire Rath Yatra will be monitored by a command and control centre with around 500 CCTV cameras, drones, anti-drone systems, bomb disposal teams and dog squads. Every year, lakhs of devotees throng the temple city for the Rath Yatra. This year, the Odisha government estimates that around 30 lakh pilgrims will participate in the festival. Incidentally, in June 2025, at least three devotees were killed and over 50 injured in a stampede near the Shri Gundicha temple during the annual Rath Yatra. To avoid crowding, people accompanying VIPs will not be allowed to enter the reserved area around the Rath. Special arrangements have also been made for elderly devotees, women and the disabled, and around 1,700 bio-toilets have been set up across the city.