Chaos After Sudden Arrival Of Trucks, Poor Crowd Control: What Led To Gundicha Stampede In Puri

News18

8 hours ago

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A stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during Rath Yatra left three dead and 50 injured. Chaos began when trucks entered the area. CM Majhi apologized and ordered changes.
At least three people, including two women, died and nearly 50 others were injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, early Sunday morning. The incident took place around 4 am as thousands of devotees gathered for the Rath Yatra festivities.
The deceased have been identified as 36-year-old Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, 42-year-old Pravati Das from Balipatna, and 80-year-old Premakant Mohanty, also from Balipatna.
According to Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, six of the injured are in critical condition and are being treated at a nearby hospital.
What Led To The Chaos?
The stampede reportedly began when two trucks carrying sacred ritual materials entered the already-crowded Saradhabali area near the temple. Devotees had been waiting since the early hours to witness the sacred 'Pahuda' ritual, during which the cloth covering the deities' faces is removed.
The unexpected entry of the trucks caused panic, pushing the crowd into disarray. Several people were trampled or suffocated in the chaos.
No Police Presence At Scene
Eyewitnesses claim there was no visible police presence at the time of the stampede. A man, whose wife died in the incident, said the injured had to be carried nearly one kilometre to reach the nearest ambulance. He criticised the absence of timely medical and police support.
'There were no police officers. An ambulance was parked about one km from the accident site, and the injured had to be carried to the vehicle," the victim's husband claimed.
Swadhin Kumar Panda, a local resident, alleged poor crowd management and claimed that VIP routes were prioritised while the general public was diverted without proper planning. 'The traffic system was also not good, as many vehicles with unauthorised passes came near the temple. The administration did not control the crowd properly. The biggest problem was the exit gate," he said.
The Rath Yatra, which began on Friday, saw the deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra – transported from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, about 2.6 km away. Devotees had gathered in large numbers at Gundicha Temple, believed to be the deities' aunt's home, to catch a glimpse of them.
Odisha Govt Takes Action For 'Negligence'
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his sorrow and publicly apologised to devotees. 'Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos," he wrote on X.
'Personally, my government and I seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees," he added.
In response to the incident, Majhi ordered the transfer of both the Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vineet Agrawal. Two police officers – DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi – were suspended for negligence.
Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana was appointed the new Collector of Puri, while Pinak Mishra took over as SP. An administrative inquiry has also been launched under the supervision of the Development Commissioner.
The Odisha government has also announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of the deceased.
(With inputs from agencies)