One dead, 100 hurt in crush at Indian chariot festival

At least one person died and nearly 100 people were hospitalized after a love affair at a popular Hindu car festival in Puri in eastern India, authorities said.

Thousands of devotees had flocked to the Jagannath Temple in the eastern state of Odisha to take part in the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of India’s largest and most revered festivals, which saw three people fall in love last year.

Police official at the festival, Soumendra Priyadarshi, said one person died of a heart attack.

The Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of Odisha Fire and Emergency Services has safely rescued 33 devotees from the dense crowd since this morning. The rescued devotees were immediately provided first aid and oxygen support before being transported to nearby hospitals… pic.twitter.com/ulSFYKcjl7— Odisha Police (@odisha_police) July 16, 2026

Fire and emergency service officer Umashankar Dash said about 100 people were taken to hospitals complaining that they could not breathe.

The festival is considered one of the oldest and largest religious ceremonies in the world.

The centuries-old festival involves idols of Hindu gods being taken out of the Jagannath Temple and carried through the streets on colorfully decorated chariots.

Footage from the scene shows injured devotees being transported to hospitals as shoes, bags and other belongings were scattered around after the incident.

Odisha state police said at X that rescue workers provided first aid and oxygen to the devotees.

Crowd crashing is common at large gatherings in India, where security regulations are often ignored.

At least 39 people died in a stampede during the Maha Kumbh festival in the state of Uttar Pradesh in January last year.

with AP