.According to officials quoted by TOI, the main Rath Yatra rituals on Friday and Saturday were conducted without any issues, despite a brief delay due to a crowd surge on the first day. Over 12 lakh devotees attended the celebrations over two days. However, Sunday morning’s stampede occurred during a much smaller gathering of about 5,000–6,000 people.

Parikhita Mishra, an eyewitness from Dhenkanal, said that vehicles moving through the crowd triggered the chaos. “Two trucks carrying wooden ladders for the chariots were permitted to move through the crowd, further narrowing the space and triggering panic. There were no police officers to regulate their movement,” Mishra said.

Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor of the Jagannath Temple, said, “The location in front of Gundicha Temple can accommodate a maximum of 5,000–6,000 devotees. Stampedes can occur when chariots are moving. However, tragedy struck before stationary chariots, a first in history.”Survivors and witnesses said that police failed to manage the crowd and fled the scene. Dilip Sahu, whose wife Prabhati Sahu from Khurda district died in the stampede, said, “I watched in horror as police officers fled to protect themselves. My wife was unconscious, and I had to carry her to the hospital with help from other devotees. Police authorities who should have protected us were nowhere to be found.”

Abhijit Das, husband of deceased devotee Prabhati Das from Bhubaneswar’s Nayapalli area, said, “There were hardly any police personnel visible despite the massive crowd. When people started falling and screaming, there was no organised response. We were completely on our own.”Another survivor, Prasanjit Makahud, described dangerous conditions underfoot. “Some wooden logs were kept on the ground in front of the chariots. Many devotees stood on them to get a better view of the deities. The logs were slippery due to rain. Some slipped and fell, causing a domino effect,” he said.Santosh Das, a Puri resident and regular temple-goer, criticised the authorities for repeated lapses. “Every year, we see huge crowds during festivals, yet the police authorities never learn. There were a handful of policemen for thousands of devotees. How can they possibly maintain order?” he asked.After the incident, Puri Deputy Commissioner of Police Bishnu Charan Pati and Police Commandant Ajay Padhi were suspended. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police were also transferred. The Odisha government has launched an investigation and announced ₹25 lakh as compensation for the families of each deceased victim.

(With inputs from TOI)