A stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals and left several others injured. The incident occurred early Sunday morning near the Gundicha Temple at Saradhabali. Identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakanta Mohanty, the victims were caught in the chaos that erupted around 4:20 AM as a large crowd of devotees gathered for darshan. Eyewitness accounts suggest that the situation escalated when two trucks carrying ‘charamala’ entered the densely packed area, triggering panic and a sudden surge among the attendees. Prior to the stampede, health officials reported approximately 750 devotees requiring medical attention due to exhaustion and overcrowding. The Rath Yatra, a grand chariot festival, had commenced on Friday, June 27th, with the third day’s events proceeding as scheduled despite the earlier tragedy.
