A sudden crowd surge at the Rath Yatra chariot festival in the coastal town of Puri, Odisha state, eastern India, on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, left at least one person dead and nearly 100 injured, according to reports from the Press Trust of India.

The Rath Yatra is one of the world’s oldest and largest Hindu religious processions, where idols of deities are taken out from the Jagannath Temple and carried through the streets in elaborately decorated chariots.

Videos from the scene showed injured devotees being carried to hospitals, while shoes, bags, and other belongings were scattered across the area following the incident. Odisha police stated in a social media post that rescue teams administered first aid and oxygen to 33 individuals before transferring them to nearby hospitals.

The incident occurred as tens of thousands of people had gathered for the festival, highlighting the challenges of managing large crowds during major religious events.

Sources