At least one person was killed and nearly 100 injured following a sudden crowd surge during the annual Rath Yatra festival in the eastern state of Odisha on Thursday.
The Press Trust of India reported, the incident took place in the coastal town of Puri, where tens of thousands of devotees had assembled for the centuries-old Hindu chariot festival, reports AP/UNB.
One of the world’s oldest and largest religious processions, the Rath Yatra involves parading idols of Hindu deities from the Jagannath Temple through the streets on elaborately decorated chariots.
Footage circulating on social media showed injured devotees being transported to hospitals, while personal belongings such as shoes and bags remained scattered across the ground in the aftermath of the surge.
Odisha Police stated that, rescue teams administered first aid and provided oxygen support to 33 injured individuals before they were transferred to nearby medical facilities for further treatment.
This latest tragedy occurs exactly one year after a similar surge at the same festival resulted in three deaths and more than a dozen injuries.
Crowd-related accidents are a recurring issue during major religious gatherings in India, where millions of pilgrims often congregate in confined areas with limited crowd-control measures in place.
In January last year, at least 30 people lost their lives during the Maha Kumbh festival following a rush to bathe in a sacred river.
Additionally, in 2013, at least 115 pilgrims died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after panic over a potential bridge collapse triggered a deadly stampede and multiple drowning.
