Puri: In a tragic incident, three devotees lost their lives and many others were injured in a stampede that occurred early Sunday morning near the Gundicha temple in Puri. The mishap took place around 4:00 AM when a massive crowd had gathered for darshan of Lord Jagannath and His siblings on their respective chariots.

The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, Premakant Mohanty, and Pravati Das from Balipatna. All three were present among the large number of devotees awaiting darshan when the situation turned chaotic.

According to eyewitness accounts, some devotees sustained injuries while workers were unloading wooden logs from a truck, triggering panic and leading to a stampede. At the time, over 500 devotees were seated on plastic mats. Many were trampled in the ensuing rush.

Witnesses also alleged lack of sufficient police personnel to manage the gathering.

Expressing grief, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the state government would conduct a thorough probe into the incident. “Strict action will be taken after the investigation. The Chief Minister has been informed,” he added.

Director General of Police YB Khurania also reached Puri in the morning to personally assess the situation. He instructed senior police officials to take stock of the ground-level arrangements and ensure better crowd management for the rest of the Rath Yatra festivities.