Rath Yatra: Over 500 devotees injured on account of overcrowding in Odisha’s Puri, many fell in poor health amid intense warmth

Over 500 folks attending the annual Rath Yatra competition in Odisha’s Puri had been injured as crowds surged to tug the chariots as a part of an age-old custom. Many accidents had been additionally brought on by warmth and humidity, well being officers have mentioned.

The injured devotees had been taken to close by hospitals in ambulances that had been already on standby close to Lord Jagannath Temple. No casualties have been reported to date. The Rath Yatra competition was celebrated throughout the nation on Friday.

#WATCH | Devotees collect to witness and be part of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which started yesterday, in Odisha’s Puri. pic.twitter.com/giE2gnIIXu

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025

Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling mentioned, “One or two devotees collapsed as a result of climate circumstances, however rescue groups responded rapidly and took them to the hospital.” The minister added that the federal government is guaranteeing that the affected folks obtain correct therapy.

A lot of the chaos unfolded close to the Balagandi space, the place Lord Balabhadra’s chariot, Taladhwaja, was caught for over an hour. The extended stoppage led to heavy crowding, trapping a number of devotees, a few of whom had been injured whereas making an attempt to flee the congestion.

Authorities attributed the delay to difficulties in manoeuvring the chariot at a crucial flip, which slowed the procession and intensified the congestion. The state of affairs worsened as a surge of devotees entered restricted areas, additional hindering the chariot’s motion.

#WATCH | Puri, Odisha | Ambulances reached the Rath Yatra spot after some folks complained of suffocation and had been reported unconscious on account of humidity.

The affected folks had been taken to the hospital and had been supplied with the required medical help https://t.co/Fie3j5sA03 pic.twitter.com/JYIkSUi7jj

— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025

Whereas hundreds of individuals pulled the chariots, lakhs of others additionally reached the seaside temple city to take part within the competition. An estimated a million devotees gathered in Puri for the annual Rath Yatra, officers mentioned.

In the meantime, Lord Jagannath devotees will get one other probability to tug the chariots on Saturday as none of them reached their vacation spot on Friday after Balabhadra’s Taladwaja chariot bought caught.

With inputs from businesses