Jagannath Rath Yatra 2025: Three dead, several injured in Puri stampede near Shree Gundicha temple

At least three people lost their lives and several others were injured in a stampede that took place early Sunday near Saradhabali, close to the Gundicha Temple in Puri, as reported by the PTI.

The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple, Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain said.

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The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people is critical, he said. The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. Visuals from the postmortem centre in Puri showed families of victims gathered outside the facility.

What did eyewitnesses say?

A man who lost his wife in the stampede said, "When 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..."

Also Read: Rath Yatra 2025: Over 500 devotees injured while pulling Lord Balabhadra's chariot in Puri's annual festival

Swadhin Kumar Panda, a resident of Puri, said, “I was there near the temple till 2-3 am last night, but the management was not good. A new way was made for VIPs, and common people were asked to exit from a distance. People started exiting from the entrance itself, which increased the crowd. The traffic system was also not good, as many vehicles with unauthorised passes came near the temple. The administration did not control the crowd properly. The biggest problem was the exit gate. Many people died on the day of the Rath Yatra too, but the government and administration did not disclose it and said that there were no casualties. Today, three people have died - two women, one man. The Odisha administration is responsible for this. There was no police, administration there at night…”

Odisha LoP and former CM Naveen Patnaik said, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the three devotees who have lost their lives in the tragic stampede at Saradhabali, Puri and I pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannatha for the swift recovery of the devotees injured in this devastating incident. Today’s stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the Rath Yatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees…”

On the third day of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, devotees from across the world thronged in large numbers to witness and be a part of the famed Yatra.

The grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced on Friday in Odisha's Puri, with thousands of devotees pulling the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The event was marked by chanting, drumbeats, and an overwhelming sense of spiritual fervour.

(With inputs from agencies)