16 July,2026 08:40 PM IST | Bhubaneswar | IANS
Officials carry a devotee on a stretcher after a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra procession in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. PIC/PTI
One person reportedly died due to suffocation in an alleged stampede-like situation during the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. However, there has been no official confirmation of the devotee's death or the stampede-like situation so far.
Speaking to reporters, a devotee who was present at the spot in Puri said that near Marichikund Square, either the rope barricade of the the outer cordon collapsed, or some people lost their balance and fell on the road.
He said they saw around 40 to 50 people falling on top of one another, leaving several devotees injured, with four to five of them appearing to have sustained serious injuries.
He added that they rescued around 20 people and rushed them to the hospital by ambulance, and were now hearing that an elderly person had succumbed.
Besides, sources also claimed that around 200 patients have so far been admitted to the hospital and temporary health facilities in Puri, complaining of suffocation and various injuries amid the unprecedented rush of devotees and incessant downpour on Thursday.
Lakhs gathered in the holy coastal town of Puri to witness the grand annual Rath Yatra on Thursday. The world-famous annual Rath Yatra festival began with the Pahandi Bije ritual for the divine siblings and other deities, ahead of schedule, earlier in the day.
The holy siblings, along with other deities, during the Pahandi Bije ritual, were escorted from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to their respective decorated chariots in a grand ceremonial procession, accompanied by the enthralling and divine sound of traditional musical instruments such as ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet), and telingi baja.
The priests, chanting sacred Vedic hymns, and traditional Odissi artists, with their enthralling dance performances, welcomed the deities on their nine-day sojourn at the Gundicha Temple, believed to be their birthplace.
Although the Pahandi Bije rituals began ahead of schedule, their completion was delayed by more than two hours on Thursday.
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