Puri Stampede: After three devotees tragically died in a stampede near Shri Gundicha Temple during the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha鈥檚 Puri on Sunday, a man from Puri, who lost his wife in the incident, said no one came to his help, describing the situation as 鈥減athetic鈥.
A stampede broke out in front of the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosh, when it reached the Gundicha Temple in the early hours of Sunday. At least three devotees died and over 50 were injured.
A huge crowd of devotees gathered to have darshan of the deity, which led to the collapse of the crowd barriers. As a result, several devotees fell over each other near the wheels of the chariot. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh of Khorda district, Premakanti Mohanty, and Prabhati Das from Athantara village under Balianta block.
A man who lost his wife in the incident said that not a single authority responded to the escalating situation in Puri. 鈥淲hen this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team. This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed in words,鈥 he told reporters.
Puri, Odisha: A man who lost his wife in the stampede says, 鈥淲hen this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team. This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed鈥︹ https://t.co/jFE36gLDfu pic.twitter.com/jDnfPfE7zR
鈥 ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2025
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi on Sunday sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Jagannath after the incident and pledged strict action against those responsible for the lapses in crowd control and security arrangements.
READ: Odisha CM Apologises After 3 Killed In Rath Yatra Stampede, Announces Rs 25 Lakh Ex-Gratia
The Chief Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the devotees who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Meanwhile, the Puri District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) have been transferred in the aftermath of the stampede.
In addition, disciplinary action has been taken against other officials for alleged dereliction of duty. DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi have been suspended following preliminary findings of negligence in managing the crowd and ensuring safety.