Stampede sri gundicha temple: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the incident of stampede near a temple in Puri on Sunday (June 29, 2025) as ‘extremely tragic’ and urged the Odisha government to expedite relief efforts. Officials said that at least three people, including two women, died and about 50 others were injured due to a stampede near Shri Gundicha temple on Sunday morning. Rahul Gandhi also assured the Congress workers to provide all possible assistance in relief efforts.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a post on ‘X’, ‘This tragedy is a serious warning that such big events should be prepared and reviewed seriously for security arrangements and crowd management preparations. Protecting life is paramount and no lapse in this responsibility is acceptable. He said, ‘I have a deep condolences to the bereaved families and I hope that the injured devotees are quick to recover. There is an appeal to the Odisha government to expedite relief work and Congress workers are urged to help all possible help in this.
How did this accident happen?
At least three people were killed and around 50 others were injured in a stampede near Sri Gundicha temple in Puri, Odisha on Sunday. Puri District Magistrate Siddharth S. Swain said that the incident took place at around four in the morning, when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to watch the Rath Yatra festival. In the hospital where the injured are being treated, an official said that 6 of the 50 injured people have still not come to consciousness and their condition is very serious.
Officials said that two trucks carrying the material for the ritual caused chaos after entering the crowded place near the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his brother Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. A large number of devotees had gathered outside the temple since morning to get a glimpse of the gods, because under the ritual, Pahuda (cloth) was to be removed from the faces of God.
Chief Minister also expressed condolences
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi posted on the social media forum ‘X’ and said, ‘I and my government apologize to all Jagannath devotees for the stampede incident. There was more curiosity among the devotees to see Mahaprabhu. This unfortunate incident occurred due to shock and chaos. Me and my government apologize to all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives in the stampede.