India, July 17 -- Two devotees lost their lives and more than 150 others were injured after a crowd surge occurred during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. The incident took place as lakhs of pilgrims gathered for the grand chariot festival, with continuous rainfall and heavy congestion adding to the challenges faced by devotees and authorities.

According to officials, the crowd surge occurred during the Pahandi procession, when the deities were ceremonially taken to their chariots. The combination of a large influx of pilgrims, narrow movement corridors and persistent rain led to overcrowding, leaving many devotees struggling to move through the packed Grand Road.

Emergency response teams, police personnel a...