Odisha Govt Orders Probe After Tragic Stampede at Puri Rath Yatra Leaves 3 Dead

Puri: A joyful celebration turned tragic on Sunday when a stampede during the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri left three devotees dead and injured several others.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan described the incident as “very unfortunate” and assured that a high-level investigation was underway. “The state government has taken strict action and a senior officer will investigate the incident. We will take action once we get the report,” he told reporters.

The annual Rath Yatra draws lakhs of devotees to Puri every year. This time, a sudden crowd surge near the chariots created panic, leading to the deadly stampede.

Harichandan also expressed spiritual solidarity with the pilgrims, saying, “Mahaprabhu, with his wish, gives darshan to his devotees. Tomorrow, the devotees will again have the opportunity to offer prayers. I prayed to Mahaprabhu for the well-being of everyone.”

The state government has announced an administrative probe, to be overseen by the Development Commissioner, to determine lapses and fix accountability. In the meantime, several top police and administrative officials have been reshuffled: Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra was newly appointed, replacing the previous SP, while Puri Collector Chanchal Rana took over from Siddharth Shankar Swain. Odisha DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were suspended for negligence of duty.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the deaths and announced ₹25 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased devotee. He also vowed that action would be taken against those responsible and that safety measures would be strengthened to avoid such incidents in the future.