A firecracker explosion at Puri's Lord Jagannath Festival claimed three lives and injured almost thirty more.

Bhubaneswar: Firecracker explosions during Lord Jagannath's Chandan Yatra in Puri on Wednesday resulted in at least three fatalities and almost thirty injuries, according to authorities on Thursday. When crackers detonated during the Chandan Yatra in the Odisha temple town of Narendra Pond, honoring the three primary gods Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, they suffered burn injuries. "One boy succumbed to his injuries at SCB Medical College in Cuttack and two others died while undergoing treatment in private hospitals in Bhubaneswar," said a top officer. Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana, Health Secretary Shalini Pandit, and Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena of Odisha visited several hospitals late on Wednesday night to oversee the care of the injured.