The stampede at the Gundicha temple in Puri interrupted the Rath Yatra festivities this morning. At least three people lost their lives and several others were injured in a stampede.
After the Pahuda ceremony, over 500 devotees were waiting to see the deities on the chariots, seated on plastic mats, when a truck loaded with wooden logs pulled up to the scene, according to witnesses. When workers started unloading wooden logs from the truck, the scene descended into chaos as the small space was crowded with people. The devotees became panicked as a result, leading to the stampede.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today apologised over the incident of stampede, "My government and I seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were lost at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow," the CM said in a statement.
Addressing the issue of the truck unloading and the lack of police staff to monitor the crowd, the Chief Minister said, "This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted. I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible.”
Naveen Patnaik, Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly, also took to X to express his condolences. He writes, “ Today’s stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the #RathYatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.
While pointing out the ‘shocking lapse in duty’ at Puri, Patnaik went on to write, “While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy.”
Patnaik calls for urgent corrective measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming Rath Yatra rituals. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan confirmed that an investigation would be launched immediately to determine the cause and hold those responsible accountable.
