On Sunday morning, June 29, 2025, at approximately 4:30 AM, a stampede erupted near the Gundicha Temple during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. As tens of thousands gathered for darshan, overcrowding escalated when devotees pressed forward, causing several to fall and triggering a stampede that claimed three lives—two women and one man. Among the deceased were Basanti Sahu of Khorda, Premakant Mohanty, and Prabhati Das of Athantara village. Their bodies were sent for post‑mortem examination.
Ten other devotees sustained injuries, six of whom remain in critical condition in local hospitals as per the Puri District Collector. Authorities have launched an investigation, with Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announcing a high‑level inquiry and promising action against any administrative lapses.
Eyewitnesses criticized crowd control, noting separate VIP passages while ordinary devotees were left amid growing crowds. One resident remarked, “The administration did not control the crowd properly”. Over a million pilgrims had attended the two‑day festival. Health authorities previously reported over 650 cases of illness among devotees due to crowd pressure and heat.
