Two dead, over 130 injured during Rath Yatra in Odisha

Tragic incidents during Rath Yatra in Odisha result in two deaths and over 130 injuries, officials confirm.

At least two persons died and over 130 were injured in two different incidents during Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in Odisha, officials said on July 8.

A resident of Bolangir district died allegedly due to suffocation in a stampede-like situation on Sunday during the Rath Yatra in Puri, a health official said.

"When we put him in the ambulance, his pulse was running. We took him to the hospital and gave him CPR. However, doctors declared him brought dead," said Sushant Kumar Patnaik, assistant commandant of St John ambulance service.

According to sources, the devotee fainted on Grand Road while pulling the chariot of Lord Balabhadra. He was immediately rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where the doctor declared him brought.

Expressing grief over his death, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.

He also instructed officials concerned to ensure the best available medical care for the injured devotees.

In another incident, a devotee allegedly died after coming under the wheels of a chariot during Rath Yatra in Jharsuguda district on Sunday, police said.