Over 500 injured in Puri Rath Yatra overcrowding
During this year's Puri Rath Yatra on June 27, a stampede-like rush left over 500 devotees injured as crowds tried to pull Lord Balabhadra's chariot.
The chaos forced the procession to pause, but thankfully, there have been no reported deaths.
The festival draws lakhs of people every year to see Lord Jagannath and his siblings make their traditional journey.
Chariot gets stuck at turn leading to rush
The trouble started when the huge wooden chariot got stuck at a tricky turn.
Eager devotees surged forward, breaking past security and leading to injuries and fainting spells.
Emergency teams jumped in quickly—hundreds were treated on-site or sent to nearby hospitals.
Authorities rethink crowd control
Nearly 10,000 security personnel had been deployed, but even that wasn't enough for the unexpectedly huge turnout.
Authorities admit crowd control was a real challenge and say they're rethinking safety plans for next time.
While some injuries are serious, it's a relief that no lives were lost this time.