Part of Building Collapses on Devotees Attending Jagannath Rath Yatra in Gujarat; 1 Dead | Video

In a tragic start to the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Gujarat, at least five people were left injured while one died after part of a two-storey building collapsed on Tuesday during the procession.

A video that captured the incident, which took place in Ahmedabad’s Dariyapur, shows that a balcony of a building, which appears old, falls down on a group of people attending the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra.

According to J S Chaudhary of Dariapur police station, some of the injured were standing on the second-storey balcony and were watching the Rath Yatra while some were standing underneath.

Mehul Panchal, 36, died during treatment while the condition of the other five was reported to be stable. The building is said to be dilapidated.

The 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, a prominent religious procession in Hindu culture, was held on Tuesday in Gujarat’s capital amid a tight vigil with nearly 26,000 security personnel deployed for safety.

Some lakhs of devotees flocked along the 18-km route of a grand procession to catch a glimpse of the deity.

For the first time, the Gujarat police used 3D mapping technology to monitor the entire route and also deployed anti-drone technology to ensure no unauthorised drones are used during the event, as per a senior police official.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also participated in the “mangala aarti” (auspicious ritual to pay obeisance to the deity) at the temple in the wee hours. In a tweet, he called the Yatra a “confluence of faith and devotion” and described the experience of the Lord’s “darshan” as “divine and unforgettable”.

It was for the first time in many decades that Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra rode on new chariots. Also marking the first was the hi-tech 3D mapping technology used for the supervision and security of the Rath Yatra.

(With PTI inputs)