Tragedy struck in Odisha’s Puri as a stampede near the Gundicha temple in Saradhabali claimed three lives and left more than 50 devotees injured, six of them critically.
Puri (Odisha), June 29 — A horrific stampede near the Gundicha temple in Puri’s Saradhabali area early Sunday morning claimed the lives of three devotees and left over 50 others injured, with six in critical condition, according to officials.
The stampede occurred around 4 AM, when hundreds of devotees had assembled in the area near the temple premises for early darshan rituals, reported Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, as quoted by PTI.
The deceased have been identified as:
- Pravati Das (52) of Balipatna,
- Basanti Sahu (42) of Godabhanga, and
- Premakanta Mohanty (78) of Bhubaneswar.
All injured individuals were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals, where they are currently receiving treatment. Authorities confirmed that six victims remain in a critical condition, and medical teams are on alert.
The incident has prompted a full administrative investigation, with officials reviewing crowd control mechanisms and safety protocols in and around the Gundicha temple, a key site during the Rath Yatra festivities.
Local authorities are expected to provide an official statement later in the day, while families of the deceased have begun receiving support.
This tragic stampede casts a shadow over the otherwise spiritually significant gathering and raises serious questions about crowd management at religious sites during peak pilgrimage seasons.