A devotee lost his life after reportedly suffocating during the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on Thursday following a sudden crowd surge along the Grand Road. The victim collapsed amid heavy jostling and was rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Authorities are yet to officially disclose the deceased's identity.
The incident briefly triggered panic as lakhs of devotees had gathered to witness the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The overwhelming crowd led to multiple cases of breathing difficulties and exhaustion, with over 100 devotees falling ill during the festival. Emergency medical teams and the Special Rescue Unit (SRU) responded swiftly, rescuing 52 devotees and providing first aid before shifting those requiring further treatment to nearby hospitals.
Officials said the situation was brought under control soon after the incident, and the Rath Yatra continued under heightened security. The administration has launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatality and has promised to review crowd management measures.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the devotee's death and urged the state government to strengthen crowd control arrangements to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The tragedy has also revived concerns over crowd management at the festival, which witnessed a deadly crowd crush last year that claimed three lives.
Meanwhile, Gujarat's 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad witnessed 41 medical emergencies as of 5 p.m. on Thursday, with fainting emerging as the most common health issue reported along the procession route.
According to EMRI 108, the emergencies included 15 cases of fainting, five requiring first aid, four cases each of falls and breathing-related problems, three road accidents, two cases each of abdominal pain and convulsions, and one case each of chest pain, dehydration, vomiting and headache.
Emergency response teams stationed across the Rath Yatra route provided immediate treatment on-site before shifting patients to nearby hospitals whenever required. Among the reported cases, a 40-year-old devotee fainted near the Saraspur police chowki and was administered first-response treatment, including monitoring of vital signs, positioning, reassurance and oral rehydration solution (ORS), before being shifted to Sardaben Hospital.
In another incident near Kalupur Bridge at around 2:26 p.m., a person who fainted received immediate medical attention and was later transferred to Sardaben Hospital. A separate fall near BBC Market in the Kalupur area was also attended to, with the injured person receiving wound care before being taken to LG Hospital for further treatment.
EMRI 108 had deployed ambulances and emergency teams at strategic locations along the procession route in coordination with the police, civic authorities and hospitals to ensure prompt medical assistance throughout the event.
The 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra began from the historic Shree Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur and followed its traditional route through Ahmedabad. Considered India's second-largest Jagannath Rath Yatra after Puri, the annual procession attracts lakhs of devotees. Authorities deployed more than 31,000 police personnel, AI-enabled surveillance systems, drones, CCTV cameras and emergency medical services to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the procession.
