An Indian man who lost his young wife in the stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during the Jagannath Rath Yatra has blamed the government for the tragedy.
According to him, there was no response from fire officials, rescue teams, or hospital staff.
Three people have died due to suffocation during the Jagannath Rath Yatra and more than 50 were injured in the chaos.
Indian state Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi publicly apologised after the incident.
“Personally, I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were extinguished at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow”, he said in a post on X.
He added, “This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible.”
ଶରଧାବାଲିରେ ମହାପ୍ରଭୁଙ୍କ ଦର୍ଶନ ନିମନ୍ତେ ଭକ୍ତମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ପ୍ରବଳ ଉତ୍କଣ୍ଠା ଜନିତ ଠେଲାପେଲା କାରଣରୁ ଘଟିଥିବା ଅଘଟଣ ପାଇଁ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଭାବେ ମୁଁ ଏବଂ ମୋ ସରକାର ସମସ୍ତ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥପ୍ରେମୀଙ୍କ ନିକଟରେ କ୍ଷମା ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା କରୁଛୁ। ଯେଉଁ ଭକ୍ତମାନଙ୍କର ଜୀବନଦୀପ ଶରଧାବାଲିରେ ଲିଭିଯାଇଛି ସେମାନଙ୍କ ପରିବାରବର୍ଗଙ୍କୁ ସମବେଦନା ଜଣାଇବା…
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) June 29, 2025
The stampede took place around 4am, according to Puri District Collector, as hundreds of devotees had gathered to witness the annual chariot procession of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
The chaos reportedly began when two trucks carrying materials for rituals entered a densely packed area near the chariots.
