3 killed, over 50 injured in stampede outside Puri’s Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra festivities; SP, Collector transferred

The dead were identified as Basanti Sahoo (42) and Pravati Das (52) from Khurda, and Prema-kanta Mohanty (78) from Bhubaneswar.

Hospital officials said that among the injured, some were admitted with serious wounds while others were discharged after receiving primary treatment.

Expressing his condolences, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi suggested there was “negligence” and “security lapses”.

“This negligence is unpardonable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible,” the CM wrote on X.

Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and Superintendent of Police Vinit Agarwal were transferred hours after the incident. The state government also suspended two senior police officers for alleged dereliction of duty. Chanchal Rana has been posted as the new Collector, and Pinak Mishra has replaced Agarwal as SP.

The government has also ordered an administrative probe headed by Development Commissioner Anu Garg. Ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh has been announced for the kin of those killed in the incident.

The husband of one of the victims said no police personnel could be found at the spot as the crowd increased. “There was no system at all, even as a massive crowd swelled towards the chariot after darshan started at around 4 am. While devotees were going from one side, a huge crowd approached from the opposite, leading to chaos and jostling. We couldn’t find any police personnel on the spot,” said Dillip Sahoo, husband of Basanti.

Pravati Das’s husband, Biswajit, said, “My wife and others would have been saved had there been any arrangement for the smooth arrival of ambulances to the spot. There was no police deployment either, and no volunteers. Who will compensate my loss?”

Before his transfer, SP Vinit Agarwal had denied allegations that police were not present at the site. “Deployment was as per requirement,” he said.

According to eyewitnesses, the chaos went on for around 20 minutes while two vehicles entered the densely crowded area. Locals and other devotees were the first responders, pulling injured people from the crowd and taking them to nearby hospitals.

“Despite a large crowd forming overnight, darshan was closed early on Saturday (at around midnight). Those who couldn’t take darshan at night continued to wait near the chariots till morning. The crowd swelled suddenly as soon as the ‘pahada bhanga’ ritual started. This triggered the stampede,” said an eyewitness.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said he briefed the Chief Minister about the incident and that “strict action will be taken against those responsible”.

Earlier in the day, then Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain had said, “According to initial reports by the officials at the spot, there was a sudden surge in the crowd when darshan started.” He also said those who were injured were in stable condition.

Odisha’s Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik hit out at the BJP-led state government, saying, “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.”

“Eyewitnesses report that the initial response to this horrific tragedy came from the devotees’ relatives, with no government machinery present to manage the surging crowds, highlighting a shocking lapse in duty. The inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot on Rath Yatra day was conveniently attributed to ‘Mahaprabhu’s wish’, a shocking excuse that masks the administration’s complete abdication of responsibility,” Patnaik wrote on X.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern over the incident. “This tragedy is a serious warning — for such large events, security arrangements and crowd management preparations must be taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed. Protecting lives is paramount, and no lapses in this responsibility are acceptable,” he said in a post on X.

Odisha DGP Y B Khurania rushed to the spot following the incident and held a meeting with senior officers. He said a probe is being conducted.

As part of the annual Rath Yatra, the chariots of the three principal deities reached Saradhabali on Saturday. The ceremonial procession to the Gundicha Temple is scheduled for Sunday evening.