One killed, several hospitalised after stampede-like situation during Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri

A devotee died of suffocation and over 30 others were injured due to a massive crowd rush during the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on Thursday.

Several devotees, who fainted during the Rath Yatra, were rescued by Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services and shifted to nearby hospitals.

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“The Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services has safely rescued 33 devotees from heavy crowd congestion since this morning. The rescued devotees were immediately provided with first aid and oxygen support before being shifted to nearby hospitals for further medical care,’ Odisha Police said on X.

Visuals shared by a news agency showed several devotees being shifted to District Headquarters Hospital in Puri after being resuced from the massive crowd congestion.

Speaking to reporters, an eyewitness said that a barricade of the outer cordon collapsed near Marichikund Square fue to which several people lost their balance and fell on the road.

The eyewitness further claimed he 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.

Tens of thousands of devotees had gathered in the holy coastal town of Puri to witness the grand annual Rath Yatra, which began with the Pahandi Bije ritual for the divine siblings and other deities.