From Jagannath Puri’s Rath Yatra to Prayagraj’s Mahakumbh: A list of major stampedes in India. india news

Last updated:July 16, 2026, 17:53 IST

A stampede is a sudden, uncontrolled crowd of people, causing injury or death due to panic or overcrowding.

Stampede in India: A stampede-like situation broke out on Puri’s Grand Road (Bada Danda) during the Jagannath Rath Yatra on Thursday as lakhs of devotees led to chaos near the Rath Yatra, prompting emergency teams to carry out immediate rescue operations.

According to initial information, this incident took place during the Pahandi ritual at a distance of about 500 meters from the outer security cordon. Around 200 devotees experienced difficulty breathing due to the heavy crowd and were rescued by emergency teams before being shifted to Puri Medical for treatment.

Initial information suggests that around 200 devotees were rescued from the crowded area and taken to hospitals in Puri after they complained of difficulty in breathing.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that a devotee died after allegedly falling during the gathering. Sources said he was taken to Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Official confirmation regarding the alleged death is still awaited.

What is a stampede?

A stampede is a sudden, uncontrolled crowd of people, causing injury or death due to panic or overcrowding. This occurs when a large crowd moves uncontrollably, often resulting in injury or death due to panic.

Other incidents of stampede

This is not the first time that people have died in stampedes at temples and other gatherings in India in the last few years. In 2005, more than 340 devotees died in a stampede at the Mandhardevi temple in Maharashtra. In 2008, more than 250 people died in a stampede at the Chamunda Devi temple in Rajasthan. In 2008, 162 people lost their lives in a stampede at a religious gathering at the Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh.

Here is a list of some of the major stampedes that have occurred in the country in the last two decades.

Stampede at Shitala Mata Temple (March 31, 2026): On March 31, 2026, at least eight people were killed while several others were injured in a stampede at the Shitala Mata temple in Maghra village of Nalanda district in Bihar. This incident happened due to huge crowd gathering in the temple. Officials said that it being the last Tuesday of Chaitra month, a large number of devotees had gathered at the temple and the increased crowd movement reportedly led to a stampede, resulting in casualties.

Stampede at Venkateswara Swamy Temple (November 1, 2025): At least nine people were killed and fifteen others injured in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district on November 1, 2025. The area where devotees gathered was still under construction, making it an unsafe environment for huge crowds. Despite the ongoing construction work, the temple continued to allow entry into the premises.

Karur stampede (September 27, 2025): A political rally in Karur led by actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay took a tragic turn after a stampede broke out, leaving over 40 people dead and several others injured. Even when Vijay was addressing the gathering, the crowd grew and became uncontrollable, due to which people fainted. The unconscious people were shifted to hospitals in ambulances, and some of them are reportedly fighting for their lives.

Haridwar Mansa Devi Temple Stampede (July 27, 2025): At least six people lost their lives and several others were injured after a stampede broke out at the holy shrine of Mansa Devi temple in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, where hundreds of devotees had gathered to pay obeisance to the goddess on Sunday. This incident happened when the rumor of electrocution on the stairs spread amidst the huge crowd of devotees.

Stampede at Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium (June 4, 2025): The tragic incident occurred during the victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. The event, aimed to honor RCB’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, resulted in a tragic outcome that left 11 people dead and over 70 injured. The stampede occurred between 5 pm and 7 pm, when an estimated 250,000 fans had gathered outside the stadium. Attempts to enter the stadium led to overcrowding at entry points, leading to panic and chaos. The situation worsened when free passes were announced, causing fans without tickets to start moving towards the gate.

Gundicha temple stampede (June 29, 2025): At least three devotees were killed and over 50 injured in a stampede near Sri Gundicha temple during the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri. Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain was quoted by news agency PTI as saying that the stampede occurred in front of Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, when he reached the Gundicha temple around 4-5 am on June 29.

Stampede at Lairai Devi Temple (May 3, 2025): At least six people were killed and over 70 injured in a stampede during the annual Devi Lairai Yatra in Goa’s Shirgaon village. The stampede occurred when thousands of devotees joined the procession at the temple to witness and take part in the age-old ritual where barefoot ‘dhondhs’ walk on a bed of burning embers.

Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station (February 15, 2025): At least eighteen people, including five children and nine women, lost their lives in a stampede at New Delhi railway station on February 15 this year. The incident occurred after hundreds of passengers suddenly gathered on platforms 13 and 14 in a span of 15-20 minutes, leading to a stampede and several people were injured. They were waiting to catch a train to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh.

Mahakumbh Stampede (January 29, 2025): The religious congregation at the Sangam area of ​​Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj became a nightmare for many when crores of pilgrims searched for a place to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on January 29 this year, leaving thirty people dead and 60 injured.

Stampede at Venkateswara Swamy Temple (January 8, 2025): At least six people were killed and several others injured in a stampede in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati on the evening of January 8 when thousands of devotees flocked to the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala Hills to get tickets for Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam.

Hathras Satsang Stampede (July 2, 2024): On July 2 last year, more than 116 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a religious congregation in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The stampede took place at a ‘satsang’ (prayer meeting) organized by self-styled godman Bhole Baba alias Narayan Sakar Hari. The stampede happened around 3.30 pm when Baba was leaving the venue.

Indore Stampede (March 21, 2023): Thirty-six people died when a slab built over an ancient ‘stepwell’ or well collapsed during a ‘hawan’ event organized on the occasion of Ram Navami at a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.

Vaishno Devi stampede (January 1, 2022): Twelve people were killed and more than a dozen were injured in a stampede caused by a huge crowd of devotees at the holy temple of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in ​​Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra on the occasion of New Year.

Rajahmundry stampede (July 14, 2015): Twenty-seven pilgrims were killed and 20 others were injured in a stampede at a major bathing spot on the banks of the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh’s Rajahmundry, where a huge crowd of devotees had gathered on the inaugural day of the ‘Pushkaram’ festival.

Datia stampede (13 October 2013): 115 people were killed and over 100 injured in a stampede during Navratri celebrations near Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district. The stampede was triggered by a rumor that the river bridge the devotees were crossing was about to collapse.

Patna’s Chhath stampede (November 19, 2012): Eighteen people were killed and several others injured when a temporary bridge collapsed during Chhath Puja at Adalat Ghat on one bank of river Ganga in Patna, leading to a stampede.

Haridwar Har-ki-Pauri stampede (November 8, 2011): Twenty people were killed in the stampede at Har-ki-Pauri Ghat on the banks of river Ganga in Haridwar.

Sabarimala stampede (January 14, 2011): 104 Sabarimala devotees were killed and more than 40 injured in a stampede when a jeep rammed into pilgrims at Pulamedu in Kerala’s Idukki district.

Pratapgarh stampede (March 4, 2010): 63 people were killed in a stampede at Kripalu Maharaj’s Ram Janaki temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district when people gathered to receive free clothes and food from the religious leader.

Jodhpur stampede (September 30, 2008): 220 to 250 devotees were killed and more than 60 were injured in a stampede triggered by rumors of a bomb at the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Naina Devi temple stampede (3 August 2008): 162 people died and 47 were injured in a stampede triggered by rumors of rockslide at Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

Stampede at Mandhardevi temple (January 25, 2005): Nearly 340 devotees were crushed to death and hundreds injured during the annual pilgrimage to the Mandhardevi temple in Maharashtra’s Satara district. The accident occurred when some people fell on the slippery stairs due to the devotees breaking coconuts.

Nashik Kumbh Stampede (August 27, 2003): 39 people died and around 140 were injured in a stampede during the holy dip at the Kumbh Mela in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.

(with inputs from agencies)

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