More than 500 devotees were injured during the annual Rath Yatra festival in Odisha’s Puri, after massive crowds surged forward to pull the chariot of Lord Balabhadra,The incident reportedly occurred during the ceremonial pulling of the Taladhwaja chariot, one of the three grand chariots drawn as part of the centuries-old tradition.

Responding to reports of devotees fainting during the Jagannath Rath Yatra, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the incidents were likely due to high humidity. “One or two devotees collapsed due to the weather conditions, but rescue teams responded quickly and took them to the hospital," he said.

Mukesh Mahaling added that primary health care centres have been set up near the temple and assured that arrangements for water and glucose are in place.

Devotees create a passage of compassion and let an ambulance pass through the crowd during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. The 9-day-long holy festival draws millions of pilgrims throughout the year.

Millions of devotees thronged the beach town of Puri in Odisha as the annual nine-day Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings began. In a remarkable feat, around 2500 volunteers and millions of devotees at the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra on the 27th of July got together to create a human corridor for safe passage for an ambulance trying to get through with injured devotees

The ambulance was carrying the devotees who were injured during the yatra procession.