Devotee Dies During Chariot Pulling In Puri Rath Yatra

Puri: A devotee reportedly died out of suffocation during Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri town on Sunday evening.

According to sources, a stampede-like situation prevailed when pulling of Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra started on Bada Danda (Grand Road) in the Pilgrim Town in the evening. As per tradition, of the three chariots of the sibling deities, Lord Balabhadra’s Rath is pulled first.

As thousands of people rushed to participate in chariot pulling, the devotee got trapped in the melee. Unable to withstand the pressure from the crowd, he fell down unconscious. The police with the help of volunteers rushed him to the district headquarters hospital. But the doctors declared him brought dead.

Confirming the devotee’s death, additional commandant of St John Ambulance Services Sushant Kumar Pattnaik said his identity has not been ascertained.

Several other devotees were also reportedly injured during the chariot pulling. However, Taladhwaja chariot started rolling without any further untoward incident.