One person died and many fell ill in a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Odisha’s Puri on Thursday, July 16, 2026, official sources said. The incident occurred as lakhs of devotees joined the annual Rath Yatra festival in the seaside temple town.
The Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services safely rescued 33 devotees from heavy crowd congestion since morning, said Odisha Police. The rescued devotees were immediately provided with first aid and oxygen support before being shifted to nearby hospitals for further medical care.
According to reports, a 45-year-old devotee became unconscious due to the heavy rush on the Grand Road in Puri and was later declared dead at the district headquarters hospital. Over 30 people have been hospitalized due to the crowd crush, with most patients’ conditions reported to be stable. Additional healthcare personnel were deployed to take care of sick devotees, with senior officials monitoring the situation.
Despite heavy rain, over 5 lakh devotees from Odisha and outside gathered 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.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik expressed his condolences for the loss of lives among devotees in the stampede and prayed for the eternal peace of the souls of the devotees who have lost their lives and for the swift recovery of the injured devotees. He also assured that the BJD will extend full cooperation to provide assistance to everyone and hoped that the state government will ensure the convenience and safety of the devotees by properly managing the crowds.
