&w=3840&q=100)
Odisha: 3 killed, many injured in stampede during Puri Rath Yatra near Gundicha temple
At least 3 devotees were killed and several others injured in a stampede near the Shri Gundicha Temple during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, on Sunday. The incident occurred as huge crowds gathered around Lord Jagannath's chariot. read more
(File) The Rath Yatra starts today and will end on July 8. AFP
In a tragic incident, at least three devotees lost their lives and several others were injured after a stampede broke out near the Shri Gundicha Temple during the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri on Sunday.
According to initial reports, the stampede happened in front of Lord Jagannath's chariot, Nandighosh, when it reached the Gundicha Temple around 4–5 am.
As the three chariots arrived at the temple, huge crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the deity. The massive crowd caused barriers to collapse, leading to chaos as many devotees fell near the chariot wheels.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The victims have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh in Khorda district, and Premakanti Mohanty and Prabhati Das from Athantara village in Balianta block.
Officials said more than 10 lakh (one million) people attended the two-day Rath Yatra celebrations. On Friday, the first day of the yatra, over 10 lakh devotees participated, creating intense crowd pressure. By evening, around 625 people had fallen ill near Devi Subhadra's chariot.
Saturday also saw many devotees falling sick, even though the crowd was 10–20 per cent smaller than on Friday. In total, over the past 24 hours, more than 650 people suffered health issues. At least 70 were hospitalised, with nine in critical condition.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Saturday, three young women travelling to Puri for the Rath Yatra died after being run over by a bus on the highway between Bhubaneswar and the coastal pilgrimage town.
Police said the accident happened near Pipili on a bridge when the women, who were riding a two-wheeler, were hit by a motorcycle, causing them to fall onto the road. A government bus then ran over them.
Two women died at the scene, while the third died from her injuries on the way to Pipili community health centre.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Rath Yatra stampede: Two senior police officials suspended over negligence, Odisha govt announces Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia
Bhubaneswar: In the aftermath of Puri stampede that claimed three lives, Odisha Government on Sunday shunted out Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal while two other senior police officials have been placed under suspension. Collector of Khordha, Chanchal Rana and DIGP of the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police, Pinak Mishra have been appointed as Puri Collector and SP respectively, as per a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office following a high-level meeting. DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhee have been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Meanwhile, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi has announced ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakhs for the family members of three devotees, who lost their lives in the stampede. The Odisha Government has also ordered an administrative inquiry into the tragic mishap under the supervision of the Development Commissioner of Odisha, Anu Garg. 'The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is the pride and honour of the Odia people. Negligence in this matter, even if minor, will not be tolerated. Exemplary action will be taken against all the persons responsible for this,' said CM Majhi. In another important decision, the government has assigned Arvind Agrawal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department, the charge for overall supervision of the Car Festival in Puri. Following the stampede in Odisha's Puri that claimed the lives of three pilgrims, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended an apology to the devotees of Lord Jagannath, while ordering an immediate investigation into the security lapses. 'Personally, I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees," wrote CM Majhi on his official X handle. Majhi further expressed condolences to the families of those devotees who lost their lives in the stampede at Saradhabali near Gundicha Temple. He prayed to Lord Jagannath to grant the bereaved family members of the deceased devotees the strength to withstand this profound sorrow. The stampede occurred early in the morning between 4 a.m.- 4.30 a.m. The deceased have been identified as Pravati Das, Premkant Mohanty and Basanti Sahoo.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Chaos After Sudden Arrival Of Trucks, Poor Crowd Control: What Led To Gundicha Stampede In Puri
Last Updated: 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)
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Israeli strikes in four locations across Gaza kill 14, including three children
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 14 people including three children in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 13 people died in air strikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre. The Israeli military told AFP it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting "to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" in a campaign launched in 2023 against the Islamist militant group whose attack on Israel triggered the war. Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood in the early morning, and "the house was completely destroyed." A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home and "heard a huge explosion at my relative's house." "I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire," he added. "We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs -- two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop," Azzam said. "They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up." Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed five people including a child. He said that other casualties included a young man killed "by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid" near a humanitarian distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah.
