New Delhi: New Delhi: At least three devotees were killed and 10 others injured after a stampede broke out at the Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri on Sunday morning.
A large crowd had gathered for a glimpse of the chariot of Lord Jagannath around 4.30 am this morning, according to NDTV.
The stampede took place in front of the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosh, when it reached the Gundicha Temple.
The three Raths with idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra were near Shree Gundicha Temple, about three kilometres from Jagannath temple at the time.
As the chariot coursed through the street, the crowds began to swell with some devotees falling down, triggering stampede.
It is reported that three people, identified as Prabhati Das and Basanti Sahu, and 70-year-old Premakant Mohanty, all from Odisha's Khurda district, died on the spot.
The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people, according to Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, is critical, PTI reported.
Despite the huge crowds, the police’s arrangement for crowd control was inadequate, local media reported.