Bhubaneswar: There was chaos during Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha on Thursday. A stampede-like situation broke out amidst the crowd of lakhs of people on the Grand Road, in which one person died and around 200 devotees were injured.
Where did the incident happen?
This accident happened on ‘Bada Danda’ i.e. Grand Road. Lakhs of devotees from India and abroad had gathered here to pull the huge chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Suddenly the crowd went out of control during the chariot pulling. According to initial information, a devotee had severe difficulty in breathing. He was immediately taken to Puri District Headquarters Hospital, but doctors declared him dead.
Nearly 200 people injured!
Officials said about 200 people were injured or suffered health problems in the stampede and scuffle. Of these, about 50 devotees have been admitted to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.
Videos and pictures after the incident showed slippers, bags and other items scattered on the road. People were seen carrying the injured in their arms and taking them to the hospital. There was an atmosphere of panic and shouting all around.
The reason for the stampede is not clear yet!
At present the administration is finding out how the stampede started. Crowd pressure, heat or some rumor is believed to be the reason. The district administration and police are keeping an eye on the situation.
Naveen Patnaik expressed grief
Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep sorrow over this accident. He wrote on X, "The heart is saddened by the news of the death of a devotee in the stampede at Bada Danda during the Rath Yatra. I pray for the peace of the deceased’s soul and the speedy recovery of more than 100 injured." Patnaik said that Biju Janata Dal workers are ready to help and demanded the state government to ensure the safety of devotees by improving crowd management.
An accident happened last year also
Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of the largest religious events in the world. Every year lakhs of people participate in it. It is worth noting that last year also during the same Rath Yatra, there was a stampede due to problems of crowd management and logistics. At that time 3 people had died and more than 50 people were injured. The administration had claimed to increase security this time too, but due to the crowd an accident occurred once again.
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