'No One Came to Help,' Says Grieving Husband After Jagannath Rath Yatra Stampede Claims 3 Lives

A man who lost his wife in the tragic stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during the Jagannath Rath Yatra has blamed the authorities for a lack of emergency response. Grieving and angry, he told news agency ANI, “When the incident happened, no one responded — neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital staff. This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed.”

At least three people lost their lives and around 50 others were injured in the early morning stampede, which occurred around 4 a.m. on Sunday. According to Puri District Collector Siddharth S. Swain, the stampede happened as hundreds of devotees gathered to witness the iconic chariot procession of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

Authorities believe the chaos began when two trucks carrying ritual materials entered a densely packed area near the chariots, causing panic among the crowd and triggering a stampede-like situation.

The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. Six of the injured are in critical condition and are being treated at a local hospital.

Eyewitnesses described the situation as poorly managed. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a Puri resident who was present near the temple until early morning, told ANI, “The management was not good. A new route was created for VIPs, and ordinary devotees were asked to exit from a distance. People started leaving from the same entrance they came in, which caused a crowd build-up.”

Panda also criticized the traffic and security arrangements, saying, “The administration didn’t manage the crowd properly. The biggest problem was at the exit gate.”

Another eyewitness accused the authorities of suppressing the true scale of past incidents. “People died during the Rath Yatra too, but the government never acknowledged it. Today, three people have died—two women and a man. There was no police or administration presence at night. The Odisha administration is responsible for this,” he alleged.

In response, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan called the stampede an “unfortunate incident” and said the government is taking it seriously. “I spoke with the Chief Minister this morning. We are taking stringent action. The DGP has been sent to the spot,” he said.

The minister confirmed that three people died due to suffocation in the overcrowded area and said six to seven others were injured. He assured that the situation was now under control, with additional police deployed and crowd management efforts underway. “People are now having darshan peacefully,” he added.

Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania and other senior officials also visited the site and are investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

The annual Rath Yatra began on Saturday, with the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra reaching the Shree Gundicha Temple — considered their aunt’s home. The return journey, known as Bahuda Yatra, is scheduled for July 5.

Next Story