A tragic stampede occurred during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, near the Gundicha Temple, resulting in at least three deaths and ten injuries, with some of the injured in critical condition. The incident took place early Sunday morning around 4:00–4:30 AM amid a heavy crowd, as reported by Puri District Collector Siddharth S. Swain. The stampede was linked to the pulling of Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot, which got stuck at a turn, causing a slowdown in the procession and contributing to the overcrowding. Odisha DGP Y.B. Khurania visited the site to assess the situation, and former CM Naveen Patnaik expressed condolences, praying for the recovery of the injured. This marks a rare and unfortunate event in the history of the Rath Yatra, as noted by Ramakrishna Das Mahapatra, a senior Daitapati servitor of the Puri Jagannath Temple, who appealed to the administration for improved arrangements.
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