Puri: Three people were killed and nearly 50 others sustained injuries in a stampede that occurred early Sunday morning near the Shree Gundicha Temple during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri, according to officials.

The incident took place around 4 am, as a large crowd had gathered near the temple to witness the ongoing festivities. According to Puri District Collector Siddharth S. Swain, chaos erupted when two trucks carrying materials for rituals entered the densely packed area close to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.

 

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the condition of six people is reported to be critical. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem examinations. 

An investigation into the incident is currently underway. Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania and other senior government officials have reached the site to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said he has apprised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the incident.

“We will take all the necessary action,” Harichandan said.

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra had on Saturday reached Shree Gundicha Temple, a day after the Rath Yatra began in Puri.

The temple is considered the aunt's place of the deities, which go there every year from the 12th-century Jagannath temple, situated at a distance of 2.6 km, as part of the rituals.

The return car journey, known as 'Bahuda Yatra', will held this year on 5 July. PTI