A tragic stampede near the Shri Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, has claimed the lives of three people and left over 50 injured. The incident occurred early Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., during the annual Rath Yatra.
The Rath Yatra, a significant Hindu festival, involves devotees pulling three grand chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Shubhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The deities reside at the Gundicha Temple for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple. The return journey, known as 'Bahuda Yatra', is scheduled for July 5th.
According to Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, hundreds of devotees had gathered near the Gundicha Temple when the stampede occurred. Preliminary reports suggest that chaos erupted when two trucks carrying materials for rituals allegedly entered the crowded area near the chariots. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a Puri resident, alleged that a new route was created for VIPs, forcing common people to exit from a distance, which increased the crowd and contributed to the stampede. Panda also claimed that traffic management was poor, with unauthorized vehicles adding to the congestion near the temple, holding the Odisha administration responsible.
The injured were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving treatment. Six of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The deceased have been identified as Pravati Das (52) of Balipatna, Basanti Sahu (42) of Godabhanga, and Premakanta Mohanty (78) of Bhubaneswar. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem.
The husband of one of the victims alleged that there was a lack of immediate response from officials, including fire officials, rescue teams, and hospital staff.
Senior government officials, including DGP Y B Khurania, are on the scene to assess the situation. Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has informed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the incident, assuring that all necessary actions will be taken.
An investigation into the stampede is currently underway. The Puri Collector, Siddharth Shankar Swain, stated that while adequate security arrangements were in place, the crowd suddenly became uncontrollable.
