3 dead, several injured in stampede near Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri
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3 dead, 50 injured in stampede during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri
At least three people died and 50 others were injured in a stampede near Sri Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. The incident occurred early Sunday morning, around 4-4.30 am amid heavy crowd. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu, Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das, all residents of Khurda district.
According to Puri District Collector Siddharth S. Swain, the incident happened when hundreds of devotees had gathered near the Shree Gundicha Temple for darshan. The crowd suddenly surged and created a stampede-like situation.
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Emergency services responded quickly and the injured were taken to Puri District Hospital. Six of them are in critical condition.
The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna, all residents of Khurda district. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem.
The incident took place near Saradhabali, in front of the temple, where Lord Jagannath was seated on the chariot. The crowd became uncontrollable during the darshan, and in the chaos, several people fell and were trampled.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident. “We are looking into what triggered the rush and whether there were any lapses in crowd control,” said an official.
An estimated one million devotees participated in the annual Rath Yatra as the grand chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were pulled through the streets of Puri. The deities are taken to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.
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Earlier, on Saturday, Sanjay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Odisha, had also said that they expect around 10 to 12 lakh devotees to gather in Puri.
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Three Dead, 10 Injured In Stampede During Rath Yatra In Puri
Three people died and 10 others were injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, according to a report by NDTV. The incident took place near the Shree Gundicha Temple, about three kilometres from the Jagannath Temple, where the procession began. A large crowd had gathered for darshan, and as the crowd grew, some people reportedly fell, triggering the stampede. Those killed were identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakant Mohanty.
NDTV reported that the stampede occurred around 4.30 am on Sunday as the three chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Shubhadra reached the Gundicha temple. A large crowd had gathered for darshan, and as the crowd grew, some people reportedly fell, triggering a stampede. Three people died on the spot. Those killed were identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakant Mohanty, all residents of Khurda district.
According to NDTV, local media reports suggested the police arrangement for managing the crowd at the site was inadequate. Some of the injured were said to be in critical condition.
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain told NDTV that the bodies had been sent for post-mortem, which would confirm the exact cause of death. He said security arrangements were in place, but the crowd became uncontrollable at one point.
The Rath Yatra involves pulling three large chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Shubhadra from the Jagannath temple to the Gundicha Temple. The deities remain there for a week before returning.
A political row has emerged over the delay in starting the Rath Yatra, NDTV reported. Former Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik referred to the situation as a “terrible mess”. He said, “All we can do is pray. May Mahaprabhu Jagannath forgive all those responsible for the terrible mess that has overshadowed this divine festival this year.”
Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, without naming Mr Patnaik, criticised the BJD, saying the party was making political statements. He said, as quoted by NDTV, “In the past, the BJD government made mistakes and insulted Lord Jagannath. Since 1977, the chariots have always reached the Gundicha Temple on the second day.”