At least three people died in a stampede near Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. Six others are said to be injured in the incident that took place early morning at 4:20 am, said an official.
A sudden rush for entry into the temple led to chaos. As per the information, there was already overcrowding and then a truck entered the crowd, causing panic. Eyewitnesses report inadequate police presence.
Further probe is underway. More details awaited.
This comes a day after three women died while on their way to participate in Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri after they were run over by a bus on a highway connecting Bhubaneswar and the coastal pilgrim town, police said. The deceased women were travelling on a two-wheeler when a motorcycle hit them, causing the vehicle to fall.
The tri came under the wheels of a government bus, and two died on the spot. One woman succumbed to her injuries while being taken to Pipili community health centre, the police station inspector-in-charge, Soumendra S Tripathy said, quoted PTI.
The victims were identified as Rimijhimi Priyadarshini Sahu, Elina Das, and Kajal Das. While two were from Kendrapada district, the third one was a resident of the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the death of the women and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased persons from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
In another case, a man, identified as Shibaram Behera, died after coming under the wheels of a chariot during Rath Yatra in Shikula village under the jurisdiction of Purushottampur police station in Ganjam district on Friday.
Row Over Delay In Rath Yatra
A row erupted in Odisha after Lord Jagannath’s chariot failed to reach its destination on time during the Rath Yatra in Puri. Former Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik called the delay a “terrible mess”, prompting the ruling BJP to accuse the opposition party of engaging in “vicious politics.”
Patnaik, currently recovering from surgery at a Mumbai hospital, expressed deep anguish over the disruption.
“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. But it’s impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our state,” he said in a social media post.
“The Nandighosh chariot stood still at the Singhadwar till 7.45 PM, only to move a few metres before the day ended. This has left lakhs of devotees disillusioned,” Patnaik added.