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Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Puri Rath Yatra stampede kills 3 as crowd swells to 20k outside temple
Bhubaneswar: A pre-dawn stampede during Rath Yatra festivities in Odisha's temple town Puri left three devotees dead and dozens injured Sunday as over 20,000 people crowded into a space meant for less than a third of that number. The dead were identified as Premakanta Mohanty, 78, a retired state govt employee from Bhubaneswar; homemaker Basanti Sahu, 42, from Khurda; and Prabhati Das, 52, of Balianta in Bhubaneswar. They had come with families for "darshan" of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra atop chariots before the sibling deities entered Gundicha temple on the third day of the annual festival. The chariots were parked outside the temple, drawing massive crowds that overwhelmed barriers. Eyewitnesses attributed the chaos to poor planning and inadequate crowd control measures. They said the surge began as two trucks carrying wooden ladders for the chariots entered the dense crowd around 4am. "The narrow congregation site, combined with insufficient police presence and scattered palm log ladders near the chariots, resulted in the stampede," eyewitness Chinmay Patra said. CM Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a probe led by development commissioner Anu Garg and announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each victim's family. He called the lapses "unforgivable" and transferred Puri district collector S S Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal. DCP-ranked officer V P Pati and commandant Ajay Kumar Padhi were suspended for negligence. Cops, govt under fire for crowd-control 'fiasco' Bhubaneswar: Sunday's stampede at Puri in BJP-governed Odisha spotlighted failure of police's crowd control measures. Opposition BJD and Congress attributed the tragedy to govt's incompetence and "favour" shown to BJP workers to gather around the chariots. While there was a delay on Friday due to a crowd surge, the chariot-pulling ceremony eventually went off smoothly that day and Saturday with over 12 lakh devotees. But alleged mismanagement of a smaller gathering of 5,000-6,000 near Gundicha Temple led to the stampede Sunday. "The location in front of Gundicha Temple can accommodate a maximum of 5,000-6,000 devotees. Stampedes can occur when chariots are moving. However, tragedy struck before stationary chariots, a first in history," said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor of Jagannath Temple. Police had announced deployment of 275 AI-enabled cameras and drones for real-time crowd monitoring as part of the security and traffic measures. At least two IPS officers were assigned to oversee 5 companies of RAF, 6 SP-rank officers, 7 ASPs, 24 DSPs, 42 inspectors, 189 SIs/ASIs, 12 havildars, 110 home guards and 52 platoons of state police. Despite this, security experts and devotees criticised police for failing to anticipate the massive weekend crowd. " I suspect the personnel lowered their guard after Friday and Saturday, and did not take any preemptive measure for the remaining days of the festival," said Sahadeb Mohanty, a retired DSP. Leader of opposition and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik posted on X, "While I refrain from accusing govt of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness undeniably contributed to this tragedy." State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das claimed the entire arrangement was "VVIP and BJP worker-centric". Govt pushed back against the allegations, pointing out that action had been taken against negligent officers and more would follow after ongoing inquiries."Senior police officers are on the spot to ensure comprehensive crowd control measures," law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. Incident caused by 'abysmal failure' of crowd mgmt: Naveen Prabhati, one of the victims, had travelled in a group of seven. Her mother Binodini Panda said: 'Thousands pushed through, walking over people. Some people lifted me and some others, but my daughter remained trapped. By the time we managed to reach her, she was gone.' According to Basanti's husband Dilip Kumar Sahu, the crowd surged at dawn. 'People started falling, including us. We were trampled. My wife got trapped. We pulled her out and waited for nearly an hour for an ambulance. She was declared dead at the hospital.' Opposition politicians blamed BJP-led govt for security failures. Former CM Naveen Patnaik of BJD called it an 'abysmal failure' of crowd management. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said 'no lapses in this responsibility are acceptable'. Undeterred, thousands of devotees continued gathering for darshan of the deities through the day. 'We are saddened by the tragedy but not scared. Our faith is stronger than our fear,' said Saudamini Sarangi, 65, from Cuttack. 'There was chaos for about an hour but then normalcy returned quickly. We offered prayers smoothly afterward,' said Sovan Pattnaik of Bhubaneswar. Police deployed reinforcements, set up barricades and implemented multiple queue systems. 'We appealed to people not to spread rumours. Many were taking photos in the crowd, adding to the challenge,' said DGP YB Khurania. The festival continues through July 8.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Probe into Puri Rath Yatra stampede will be completed within 30 days: Odisha law minister
Odisha's law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced on Sunday that the administrative probe into the Puri stampede, which resulted in three deaths and left 50 people injured, will be concluded within 30 days. Odisha Chief Minister expressed condolences over the incident and said that it happened because of the 'jostling and chaos.'(AP) The stampede occurred on early Sunday morning at 1 am when several devotees were waiting near the Gundicha Temple for the unveiling of the three deities on the chariots amid the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities in the region. Those killed have been identified as Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, Premakant Mohanty, and Pravati Das from Balipatna in Bhubaneswar. 'The state government will take stern action against those responsible for the tragic incident,' PTI quoted the law minister as saying. He said that Development Commissioner Anu Garg will submit her inquiry report to the chief minister within 30 days. Also read: Jagannath Yatra stampede: 2 top officials transferred; Odisha CM apologises after 3 killed | Key updates According to Puri's Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Kishore Satapathy, all the people who got injured during the stampede were discharged from a government health facility by 8 pm, PTI reported. 'All the injured have been discharged from a hospital after asserting their health condition. All are now stable,' he said. What Odisha's chief minister said Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi took stern action after the stampede and suspended Puri DCP Bishnu Charan Pati and Police Commandant Ajay Padhi on Sunday. He also expressed his condolences over the incident and said that it happened because of the 'jostling and chaos.' Also read: 'No one responded,' says victim's husband after Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede kills 3 In a post on X, Majhi wrote, "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. Personally, 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.' According to eyewitnesses, the stampede broke out after two trucks loaded with Charamala wood (considered sacred) entered the Saradhabali area near the Gundicha Temple at 4 am, about 3 km from the main Jagannath Temple, where over 1,500 devotees were seated, waiting for the deities in the chariots to be unveiled to the public. The unexpected arrival of the trucks caused chaos.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Three devotees killed and over 50 injured in crowd crush at India chariot festival
At least three people were killed and nearly 50 injured in a stampede at a major Hindu festival in eastern India on Sunday morning. The incident took place at around 4.30am local time as a large crowd gathered for darshan, or ceremonial viewing, of the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra during the annual Rath Yatra in the city of Puri, India Today reported. Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said the crowd swelled near Saradhabali, directly in front of the Gundicha temple, and suddenly went out of control, causing the stampede. The injured devotees were taken to the Puri District Hospital and at least six of them remained in critical condition. The victims – Basanti Sahu, Prabhati Das and Premakant Mohanty – were all from Khurda district, about 60km from Puri. Their bodies had been sent for autopsies, Mr Swain said. On Friday, more than 600 devotees required medical assistance as a massive crowd gathered amid intense heat near the Balagandi area, where one of the three ceremonial chariots became stuck for over an hour. The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is one of the most important Hindu festivals in India and draws over a million people to Puri each year. It celebrates the annual journey of Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra from the main Jagannath temple in the city to the nearby shrine of Gundicha. The deities are transported on giant, handcrafted wooden chariots pulled by thousands of worshippers. The deities stay at the Gundicha temple for several days before returning to the main shrine. The return is marked by another procession and the festival ends with a ceremony called Niladri Vijaya where the chariots are taken apart until the following year. #WATCH | Puri, Odisha | Ambulances reached the Rath Yatra spot after some people complained of suffocation and were reported unconscious due to humidity. The affected people were taken to the hospital and were provided with the required medical assistance — ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025 More than a million devotees had gathered in Puri by Saturday, NDTV quoted Sanjay Kumar, the additional director general of police, as saying. Puri chief medical officer Dr Kishore Satapathy said the majority of the patients on Friday were treated at outpatient clinics and later discharged. Odisha health minister Mukesh Mahaling said 'the oppressive climate during the procession' played a major role in the spike in medical cases, PTI news agency reported. As many as 625 people were treated for heat-related illnesses and injuries on Friday, PTI said. Nearly 70 devotees remained hospitalised as of Saturday, according to local authorities. Much of Friday's unrest centred on Balabhadra's chariot, Taladhwaja, which got stuck while navigating a tight street corner. The delay caused a bottleneck which intensified as thousands of people surged forward to continue the age-old tradition of pulling the towering wooden chariots with ropes. In the crush, many devotees entered restricted zones, making movement increasingly difficult. Ambulances stationed at the 12th-century Jagannath temple transported the injured pilgrims to nearby medical centres. Volunteers from public and private groups assisted in rescue and evacuation efforts.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Jagannath Rath Yatra: Three killed, over 50 injured in stampede outside Puri's Gundicha temple
BHUBANESWAR/ PURI: Three devotees, including two women, lost their lives and six others sustained injuries in a stampede that broke out in front of the Gundicha Temple in Puri during the early hours of Sunday. The incident occurred between 3:30 am and 4:30 am after the chariot-pulling ritual of the Rath Yatra concluded and all three chariots were parked in front of the Gundicha Temple. According to officials, two victims died on the spot, while the third succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Puri Collector Sidharth Shankar Swain confirmed the deaths to the media, stating that six others were admitted to the Puri district headquarters hospital. Three of them have since been discharged. The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) of Bolagarh, Pravati Das (45) of Balipatna, and Prema Kant Mohanty (78) of Khurda. How it happened The tragedy unfolded when the morning rituals known as pahada bhanga began, drawing a sudden surge of devotees eager to catch a glimpse of the deities atop the chariots. The crowd swelled in front of Lord Jagannath's chariot, Nandighosa, resulting in people falling over each other in the chaos. Eyewitnesses reported that local residents were the first to respond, helping transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Several people slammed the poor crowd control measures in place, especially given the overnight congregation of pilgrims. The situation spiraled out of control when the pahada bhanga ritual commenced. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan is reported to have briefed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on the incident, while Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania rushed to Puri to assess the situation. On Saturday, the three chariots had reached Gundicha Temple at around 1:30 pm after resuming the chariot-pulling that had remained incomplete the previous day. Authorities had already acknowledged that this year's Rath Yatra witnessed 1.5 times the usual number of attendees. Sources said the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had decided to conduct the Adapa Mandap Bije rituals on Sunday, which meant the deities remained atop the chariots overnight. 'Generally, pahada is not performed at night since a large number of devotees gather to see the deities atop the chariots. However, the ritual was conducted between 1:30 am and 2:00 am. News of early morning darshan led to a sudden influx of pilgrims that overwhelmed the available security and crowd control measures,' said sources. Family members of one of the victims expressed their anger over the alleged mismanagement. 'We reached Gundicha Temple after 3:30 am and there was a massive rush. But there were no police personnel to control the crowd. I lost my wife only because of the authorities' negligence,' said the grieving kin. Locals also reported that a truck carrying ladders used for the chariots arrived near the temple just as the crowd was swelling, adding to the chaos.
