BHUBANESWAR/PURI: One devotee died and several were hospitalised during the pulling of chariots at the Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on Wednesday.
According to sources, a temporary crowd surge resulted in seven devotees feeling unwell. They were immediately attended to by the authorities and shifted to the hospital for treatment.
One of the seven, a man aged over 60 years, later died. Officials said the exact cause of his death is being ascertained by the medical authorities.
In a separate and unrelated incident, a 35-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest during the festivities and died despite receiving prompt medical attention.
The Odisha government, however, clarified that there was no stampede during the festival. The administration maintained that the overall situation in Puri was normal and that adequate crowd management measures were in place throughout the event.
Sources added that several devotees were taken ill during the day. They were provided medical attention at the district headquarters hospital.
Appealing to devotees to remain calm, officials urged them to follow the directions of the police and district administration and refrain from spreading or believing unverified information regarding the incident.
Amid continuous rains, the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra saw a massive congregation in Puri. The rituals were delayed beyond schedule. Till the report was filed, the pulling of the chariots was underway.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal claimed one devotee lost his life due to a stampede and scores of others were injured.
Expressing grief, BJD media coordinator Lenin Mohanty urged the state government to ensure the best possible medical treatment for all the injured devotees and to extend necessary assistance to the affected families.
“This unfortunate incident during this year's Rath Yatra has deeply saddened and shocked devotees of Lord Jagannath across the world,” he said.
