Panic at Ahmedabad’s Jagannath Rath Yatra as Elephants Run Amok, Several Injured

Chaos erupted during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad on Thursday when a group of elephants in the procession suddenly went out of control, leaving several people injured.

A video shared by news agency PTI captured the frightening moments as panic swept through the crowd. In the footage, people can be seen running in all directions while mahouts (elephant handlers) desperately try to bring the animals under control. One elephant is seen charging directly at the crowd, sending devotees scrambling for safety through the narrow lanes of the city.

The incident took place around 10:15 a.m. on Friday in the densely populated Khadia area of the old city. According to reports, at least two people were injured. Officials said a decorated elephant unexpectedly broke away from the procession and ran in the opposite direction, sparking chaos. One or two more elephants reportedly strayed from the planned route, further adding to the mayhem.

The Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is a massive annual event featuring 18 elephants, about 100 trucks, dozens of devotional music groups known as bhajan mandlis, and 30 akhadas (local martial arts and gymnastics groups). This year’s 16-kilometre-long procession route is lined with thematic floats showcasing religious and cultural motifs.

An estimated 14 to 15 lakh (1.4 to 1.5 million) devotees are expected to gather along the route. To manage the massive crowd, nearly 23,800 security personnel have been deployed throughout the city. For the first time, an Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system has been put in place to monitor the crowd in real time and help prevent stampede-like situations, according to a government release.

The AI system is designed to track crowd density and movement patterns to ensure the safety of the lakhs of devotees who have turned out to witness the sacred journey of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra.