Puri: In a tragic incident, an elderly devotee died after falling ill inside the Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Jadav Ray (72), a resident of Deuli Sahi in Dhenkanal district.
It was learnt that Ray and his family were visiting the temple town and had gone for darshn of Lord Jagannath.
Due to a big rush inside Natamandap, there was pushing and jostling among devotees to catch a glimpse of the deities.
According to reports, Ray became breathless in claustrophobic conditions and collapsed. His wife, other devotees and security personnel picked him up and rushed him to the Puri District Headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The incident raised renewed concerns over crowd management and safety of devotees at times of extremely heavy footfall in and around the Jagannath temple.
Three months ago, a devotee lost his life during Bahuda Yatra in Puri.
