Three persons, two of them women, died and 10 others were injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri. The incident occurred when the three Raths carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra were near Shree Gundicha Temple, about three kilometres from Jagannath temple, where the Yatra began.
Around 4.30 am today, the holy chariots were at the Gundicha temple and a large crowd had gathered for a darshan. As the crowd swelled, some people fell and a stampede began. Three people died on the spot. These include two women, Prabhati Das and Basanti Sahu, and 70-year-old Premakant Mohanty. All three, it is learnt, are from Khurda district and had come to Puri for the Rath Yatra.
Industrialist Gautam Adani and members of his family were present in Odisha’s Puri today to attend the annual Rath Yatra, one of India’s most significant religious festivals. Accompanied by his wife Priti Adani and son Karan Adani, the Adani Group chairman participated in the rituals associated with the procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra. The billionaire and his family also took part in preparing the prasad that will be served at the temple.
AI-Based CCTV To Enhance Security
The Puri district administration has deployed Al-based CCTV cameras to monitor the festivities and ensure security, surveillance, including traffic management during the Ratha Yatra 2025.
Speaking on the matter, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Dayal Gangwar, highlighted the significance of this technology in maintaining order and safety of devotees coming from cities, including Bhubaneswar and Konark. Mr Gangwar informed that the AI-powered CCTV cameras are playing a crucial role in assisting with surveillance and security.
“Yesterday, devotees followed the traffic restrictions and traffic regulation plan, and the same will remain in place today. We request everyone to cooperate with us in this… The arrangements made yesterday for devotees coming from Bhubaneswar and Konark will remain the same today… We request everyone to adhere to our restrictions… The AI system is greatly assisting us.”, ADG Traffic Dayal Gangwar informed.
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