During the Puri Rath Yatra festival, an unfortunate incident resulted in the death of one devotee, while more than 100 others were rescued from a sudden crowd surge on the Grand Road. The situation escalated due to severe congestion, prompting a swift emergency response from rescuers. This incident raises important questions about crowd safety management at one of the most attended religious events in the region.

Despite over 200 mm of rain, millions of devotees gathered in Puri as Odisha deployed 12,000 security personnel for Lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra. | India News

A stampede occurred at the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, resulting in one death and nearly 100 hospitalisations. | India News