Puri Rath Yatra Stampede: Devotees Dead and Injured at Gundicha Temple

The sacred Jagannath Rath Yatra was marred by a stampede near the Gundicha Temple in Puri, leading to the deaths of three people and injuries to several others. The stampede took place early Sunday morning at Saradhabali. The deceased have been identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakanta Mohanty. The incident occurred at approximately 4:20 AM when a massive crowd of devotees had assembled for darshan. Eyewitnesses reported that the situation became chaotic when two trucks carrying ‘charamala’ entered the crowded area, prompting panic and a rush among the devotees. Earlier, health officials had attended to around 750 devotees who suffered from exhaustion and crowd-related issues. Despite the tragic event, the Rath Yatra continued, with devotees participating in the third day of the festival.