Puri: With two critically injured Rath Yatra pilgrims undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and 62 others admitted to Puri district headquarters hospital, serious concerns were raised over crowd management of the festival. With devotees moving in opposite directions through the same corridor and bottlenecks forming near police barricades, survivors claimed the crowd swelled during the chariot pulling, leading to panic and a sudden rush. Victims and bereaved family members narrate chilling accounts of the tragedy:Prashant Dash, cousin of Anil, who lost his lifeAn electrician by profession, my cousin was healthy and the sole earning member of his family. He died due to severe pressure on his chest after being crushed in the Rath Yatra crowd. He used to visit Puri four to five times every month and never missed Rath Yatra. None of us imagined this would be his last pilgrimage.Babita Mohanty, Khurdha districtI came to Puri to witness Rath Yatra, but never imagined it would become the worst experience of my life. We were standing at a short distance from the Jagannath Temple when thousands of people suddenly rushed towards us from the opposite direction. We felt suffocated. Many people fell to the ground, and others kept stepping over them. We screamed for help, but no one heard us. The situation continued for five to seven minutes before police reached the spot and rescued us. Around 20 to 25 people were injured. My two daughters and I are undergoing treatment in Puri. My younger daughter’s face has been badly bruised. Kushum Soundarya, West BengalI always wished to witness Rath Yatra once in my lifetime, so our entire family came to Puri. As the chariots began to move, we were suddenly trapped in the crowd. I don’t even know when I lost consciousness. When I regained my senses, I found myself lying on a hospital bed with multiple bruises. Two other members of my family were also injured.Sanjukta Nag, JharkhandI was walking with my companions when we noticed that people were moving in both directions on the same route, leading to repeated pushing. Suddenly, near a police barricade, we were trapped. I was crushed against the bamboo barricade. My chest and abdomen got stuck, and my leg was fractured. I thought those were the last moments of my life. By Lord Jagannath’s grace, I survived.
