Devotee dies, several injured in Puri Rath Yatra crowd rush

2 min readPuriUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 07:09 PM IST

An injured person being carried out of the crowd during the Jagannath Rath Yatra. (PTI Photo/Enhanced by AI)

One person allegedly died due to suffocation and over 30 people have been hospitalised due to a crowd crush during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Thursday.

A 45-year-old devotee reportedly became unconscious due to the heavy rush on the Grand Road in Puri. He was rushed to the district headquarters hospital immediately, but was later declared dead.

The number of casualties have not been officially confirmed by authorities.

VIDEO | Puri: Several devotees faint during Jagannath Rath Yatra.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/nejFj72WE7

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The condition of most patients are said to be stable, hospital sources said. “Additional healthcare personnel were deployed to take care of sick devotees. Senior officials are monitoring the situation,” said an official.

Despite heavy rain, over 5 lakh devotees from Odisha and outside gather at Puri to witness the Rath Yatra, during which the sibling deities, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, are believed to embark on an annual sojourn from their 12th-century temples to Gundicha Temple. Devotees pull three large chariots to mark the day.

‘BJD will extend full cooperation to provide assistance’

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik posted on X: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives among devotees in the stampede at Badadanda during Rath Yatra. I pray for the eternal peace of the souls of the devotees who have lost their lives and for the swift recovery of the more than a hundred injured devotees.”

In a post on X, he added: “In this hour of grief, all workers of the Biju Janata Dal will extend their full cooperation to provide assistance to everyone. I hope that the state government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds.”

Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More