Puri Rath Yatra: Several devotees rescued as crowds surge at Singhadwara
Emergency rescue teams evacuated 33 devotees who fell ill due to extreme crowd congestion at the Puri Jagannath Temple during the annual Rath Yatra. The victims received first aid and were transported to local hospitals.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the safety and crowd management challenges associated with large-scale religious gatherings in India.
Multiple people were evacuated by emergency rescue teams on stretchers on Thursday (July 16, 2026) as an overwhelming surge of pilgrims gathered at the Singhadwara of the Puri Jagannath Temple for the annual Rath Yatra.
VIDEO | Puri: Several devotees feel unwell as crowd surges during Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026. Visuals from Puri district headquarter hospital (DHH). (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7 ) pic.twitter.com/btPpHES5eK
The Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services has safely rescued 33 devotees from heavy crowd congestion since this morning, said Odisha Police in a post on X.
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