Watch: Puri devotees rescued on stretchers, crowd makes way for ambulance

One devotee died and more than 100 others fainted on Thursday following a massive crowd rush during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri, officials said.An overwhelming surge of pilgrims at the Singhadwara of the Jagannath Temple prompted emergency rescue teams to evacuate multiple people on stretchers.One devotee declared deadAccording to initial reports, one devotee aged above 60 collapsed after reportedly feeling suffocated in the crowd and was rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where he was declared dead. More than 100 others reportedly fainted amid the jostling and heavy congestion.In a separate and unrelated incident, a 35-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite receiving medical treatment.Stretchers deployed amid rushMultiple people were evacuated on stretchers by emergency rescue teams on Thursday after an overwhelming surge of pilgrims gathered at the temple.Security personnel and emergency responders rushed to aid devotees affected by the heavy crowding, administering medical assistance as large crowds continued to gather around the sacred chariots.Odisha SRU rescues 33 pilgrimsThe Special Rescue Unit (SRU) of the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services rescued 33 devotees from severe crowd congestion since Thursday morning.The rescued devotees were given first aid and oxygen support at the site before being shifted to nearby hospitals for further treatment.Lakhs of devotees gathered along the Grand Road (Badadanda) to witness the Rath Yatra procession and catch a glimpse of the deities as they were taken out on their chariots.Following centuries-old rituals, Lord Sudarshan was brought out first, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath. After ceremonial rituals, including the Chhera Pahanra performed by Puri's Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, devotees began pulling the three chariots towards the Gundicha Temple at around 2 pm.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.