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Hindustan Times
3 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.
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Odisha CM apologises after 3 killed in Jagannath Yatra stampede
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has issued an apology after three people were killed in a stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra on Sunday. The stampede occurred at 4 am in the morning.(PTI) While three people lost their lives, several others were injured in the stampede which took place early Sunday morning near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri. The three victims – Basanti Sahu, Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das – died due to suffocation, Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan said. Harichandan said that the state government would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, following which strict action would be taken against those found guilty. Here's what we know about the tragic stampede in Puri so far 📌 Situation before the stampede The stampede occurred at 4 am in the morning, when several devotees were waiting near the Gundicha Temple for the unveiling of the three deities on the chariots. In the lead-up to the incident, two trucks loaded with Charamala wood (considered scared) entered the Saradhabali area, which led to chaos among the crowd of devotees. 📌Eyewitnesses claim poor crowd management A resident of Puri, who was allegedly present at the temple during the stampede, said that the crowd management was 'not good'. He said that a new entrance had been created for the VIPs, with the common people being asked to exit the temple from a distance. However, he claimed that people started to exit from the entrance itself, increasing the crowd there. Also Read | Unexpected traffic, large gatherings: What led to the Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede? 📌Odisha DGP investigating incident State law minister Harichandan said that the Director General of Police of Odisha is investigating the stampede, adding that stringent action against those responsible would be ensured. Odisha DGP YB Khurania had rushed to the Gundicha temple to assess the situation in the aftermath of the stampede. Harichandan told ANI that additional police personnel had been deployed at the spot. 📌Odisha CM seeks forgiveness, apologises for incident Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi apologised on behalf of the state government for the incident. He also sought an apology from the devotees of Lord Jagannath. Majhi expressed his condolences to the families of those who had lost their lives, adding that the security lapses behind the incident would be investigated. 'This negligence is unpardonable,' Majhi said, while stating that he had directed for necessary steps to be taken to 'initiate exemplary action' against those responsible. 📌Naveen Patnaik slams Odisha government's 'incompetence' Biju Janata Dal chief and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his condolences to the victims of the stampede, while praying for the recovery of those injured. Patnaik alleged an 'abysmal failure' of the crowd management during the Rath Yatra. He said that the stampede 'exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' Citing eyewitnesses, Patnaik said that the initial response to the tragedy had come from the victims' relatives, adding that no government machinery was present to control the surging crowds. 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' Patnaik said in a post on X.
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Naveen Patnaik slams Odisha govt's ‘incompetence' over stampede, BJP hits back
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday lashed out the state government over a stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri that claimed three lives. Later, the BJP-led government slammed the BJD for making political remarks. People during the annual 'Rath Yatra' festival celebration, in Puri, Odisha.(PTI) Naveen Patnaik extended condolences to the families of the devotees who died in the stampede, and said he was praying for the recovery of those injured. "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," Patnaik wrote on X. Three people were killed and over 50 were injured in the stampede. The incident took place near Gundicha Temple in Puri, about three kms away from the main Jagannath Temple. Chaos ensued after trucks carrying Charamala wood (considered sacred) arrived near the temple, where over 1,500 devotees were seated, eyewitnesses said. However, a detailed probe into the stampede is yet to take place. As Naveen Patnaik slammed the state government over an alleged mismanagement, he also alleged there was no government staff present to control the huge crowd when the accident happened. "The inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot on Rath Yatra day was conveniently attributed to "Mahaprabhu's wish", a shocking excuse that masks the administration's complete abdication of responsibility," Patnaik further wrote on X. Meanwhile, Naveen Patnaik has urged the government to ensure that key Rath Yatra rituals like Adapa Bije, Bahuda and Suna Besha take place smoothly. Over 700 devotees have been hospitalised with complaints of suffocation and nausea after the stampede. None of the three chariots could be pulled even halfway from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple as a massive crowd surged. Senior police officials have visited the site, and minister Harichandan has assured that the government will conduct a detailed probe. BJP hits back Without naming Patnaik, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan responded to the criticism, and reminded the BJD how it made mistakes in the management of the festival when in power. "In the past, the BJD government made mistakes and insulted Lord Jagannath. Since 1977, the chariots have always reached the Gundicha Temple on the second day," Harichandan claimed. He also said the BJD was making political statements 'while recovering from jaundice,' and warned that those doing politics the festival will face consequences, 'if not today, then tomorrow'. (With PTI inputs)
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Unexpected traffic, large gatherings: What led to the Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede?
Three people were killed, and over 50 injured in a stampede at Saradhabali, near the Gundicha temple in Odisha's Puri early Sunday morning. The incident took place at around 4 am when hundreds of devotees had gathered near the temple.(PTI) The incident took place early morning at around 4 am, when several devotees had gathered near the Gundicha temple, PTI quoted Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain as saying. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they are receiving treatment. The deceased have been identified as Pravati Das (52) of Balipatna, Basanti Sahu (42) of Godabhanga and Premakanta Mohanty (78) of Bhubaneswar. Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the state government would initiate a probe into the incident, adding that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had been informed of the same. He added that strict action would be taken once the investigation is completed. What led to the stampede? Early on Sunday, around 1,500 devotees had gathered around the Gundicha temple – around 3 km from the main Jagannath Temple – to catch a glimpse of the three deities in the chariots. At about 4 am, two trucks loaded with Charamala wood – which is considered sacred – entered the Saradhabali area, as per eyewitnesses. The unexpected arrival of the two trucks led to chaos among the devotees, following which several were injured and three people died of suffocation. Meanwhile, the husband of one of the victims who lost her life alleged that no officials had responded when the incident occurred. 'When this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team,' the man told ANI. An eyewitness said that 'people fell over each other' and many were unconscious within a few minutes, adding that they rushed to the information centre seeking help. However, the eyewitness said that the centre could not do anything, and the ambulance was stationed around a kilometre away from the spot. Another resident of Puri, who was allegedly at the temple till 3 am in the morning, highlighted that the management was 'not good'. Swadhin Kumar Panda told ANI that a new way had been made for the VIPs to enter the temple, and that the common people were being asked to exit from a distance. "People started exiting from the entrance itself, which increased the crowd," Panda said. He said that the traffic management was also an issue, alleging that many vehicles with unauthorised passes had come near the temple. The Rath Yatra in Puri commenced on Friday. During the annual Yatra, three grand chariots with the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra are drawn by devotees from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The deities will stay at the Gundicha Temple for a week before returning back to the Jagannath Temple on July 1, when the Yatra will conclude.
