Puri: Several devotees sustained injuries at Ratha Khala in Odisha's Puri today as they broke through barricades during the Snana Purnima celebrations at the shrine.

According to reports, thousands of devotees assembled near the Shree Jagannath Temple here for the annual festival. As the crowd continued to swell, devotees waiting for a long time near the barricades leading to the Ratha Khala, close to the Snana Mandap, became restless. In a sudden rush, many of them broke through the barricades and entered the restricted area.

Police personnel attempted to stop the crowd, triggering a scuffle between devotees and cops. The heavy rush caused several people to fall to the ground, while others were injured after being trapped against the barricades.

The extreme heat and overcrowding also left several elderly people, women and children struggling to breathe. Rescue teams and volunteers immediately provided drinking water and shifted the affected devotees to safer locations. Those with serious injuries were taken by ambulance to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.

Several devotees blamed the police and district administration for lapses in crowd management, claiming inadequate arrangements led to the incident.