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Arab News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Three killed, dozen others hospitalized after crowd surge at India Hindu festival
NEW DELHI: Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge and stampede at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, local authorities said. 'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which a few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri. Swain told The Associated Press that 15 people were rushed to a local government hospital, where three people were pronounced dead. Autopsies are planned to determine the exact causes of death. The other 12 people have been discharged. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in the coastal town early Sunday at Shree Gundicha Temple, near the famous Jagannatha Temple, to catch a glimpse of the deities onboard three chariots, Swain said. The coastal temple town of Puri comes alive each year with the grand 'Rath Yatra,' or chariot festival, in one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions. The centuries-old festival involves Hindu deities being taken out of the temple and driven in colorfully decorated chariots. The festival is one of Hinduism's most revered events and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees annually from across India and the world. Naveen Patnaik, a former top elected official of Odisha state where Puri is located, said in a social media post that 'no government machinery (was) present to manage the surging crowds, highlighting a shocking lapse in duty.' 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' he said. Patnaik called the incident a 'stampede' that 'exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' In a social media post, Mohan Charan Majhi, the top elected official of Odisha, apologized for the incident, saying it occurred 'due to stampede among devotees' amid excitement to have a glimpse of the deities. Majhi said the security negligence will be investigated immediately. 'This negligence is inexcusable,' he said, adding that concrete action will be taken against the persons involved.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
3 killed and a dozen others hospitalized after crowd surge at eastern India Hindu festival
NEW DELHI — Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge and stampede at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, local authorities said. 'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which a few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri. Swain told The Associated Press that 15 people were rushed to a local government hospital, where three people were pronounced dead. Autopsies are planned to determine the exact causes of death. The other 12 people have been discharged. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in the coastal town early Sunday at Shree Gundicha Temple, near the famous Jagannatha Temple, to catch a glimpse of the deities onboard three chariots, Swain said. The coastal temple town of Puri comes alive each year with the grand 'Rath Yatra,' or chariot festival, in one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions. The centuries-old festival involves Hindu deities being taken out of the temple and driven in colorfully decorated chariots. The festival is one of Hinduism's most revered events and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees annually from across India and the world. Naveen Patnaik, a former top elected official of Odisha state where Puri is located, said in a social media post that 'no government machinery (was) present to manage the surging crowds, highlighting a shocking lapse in duty.' 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' he said. Patnaik called the incident a 'stampede' that 'exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' In a social media post, Mohan Charan Majhi, the top elected official of Odisha, apologized for the incident, saying it occurred 'due to stampede among devotees' amid excitement to have a glimpse of the deities. Majhi said the security negligence will be investigated immediately. 'This negligence is inexcusable,' he said, adding that concrete action will be taken against the persons involved. Rajesh Roy, The Associated Press
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Festival stampede kills three people near Indian temple
A sudden crowd surge at a Hindu festival in India's coastal state of Odisha on Sunday triggered a stampede that killed at least three people and injured several others, local government officials said. Thousands of devotees had gathered near Gundicha temple in the city of Puri for celebrations of an annual Hindu chariot festival. "There was a sudden surge in the crowd. Nine devotees experienced breathlessness and were taken to hospital. While three died, the others are in stable condition," Siddharth Swain, a district administrative official, told reporters. Local media reported that several other festivalgoers were injured, but the officials could not immediately confirm. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the "tragic incident" occurred due to the "overwhelming rush of devotees". "I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives," Majhi posted on social media platform X, adding that a probe was launched. "This negligence is unforgivable. I have directed an immediate investigation into the safety lapses and exemplary actions will be taken against those responsible." Deadly stampedes and crowd crushes are a common occurrence at Indian religious festivals. In May, six people were crushed to death in the state of Goa after thousands gathered for a popular fire-walking ritual. And in January, at least 30 people were killed in an early morning crush at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu mega-festival in the northern city of Prayagraj.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
3 killed and a dozen others hospitalized after crowd surge at eastern India Hindu festival
NEW DELHI — Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge and stampede at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, local authorities said. 'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which a few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri. Swain told The Associated Press that 15 people were rushed to a local government hospital, where three people were pronounced dead. Autopsies are planned to determine the exact causes of death. The other 12 people have been discharged. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in the coastal town early Sunday at Shree Gundicha Temple, near the famous Jagannatha Temple, to catch a glimpse of the deities onboard three chariots, Swain said. The coastal temple town of Puri comes alive each year with the grand 'Rath Yatra,' or chariot festival, in one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions. The centuries-old festival involves Hindu deities being taken out of the temple and driven in colorfully decorated chariots. The festival is one of Hinduism's most revered events and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees annually from across India and the world. Naveen Patnaik, a former top elected official of Odisha state where Puri is located, said in a social media post that 'no government machinery (was) present to manage the surging crowds, highlighting a shocking lapse in duty.' 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' he said. Patnaik called the incident a 'stampede' that 'exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' In a social media post, Mohan Charan Majhi, the top elected official of Odisha, apologized for the incident, saying it occurred 'due to stampede among devotees' amid excitement to have a glimpse of the deities. Majhi said the security negligence will be investigated immediately. 'This negligence is inexcusable,' he said, adding that concrete action will be taken against the persons involved.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
3 killed in crowd surge at eastern India Hindu festival, official says
Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalised on Sunday following a sudden crowd surge at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, a senior government official said. 'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri. Swain said that 15 people were rushed to a local government hospital, where three people were pronounced dead and the other 12 were discharged. Autopsies are planned for the deceased to determine the exact cause of death. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in the coastal town early on Sunday at Shree Gundicha Temple near the famous Jagannatha Temple to catch a glimpse of the deities on board three chariots, Swain said. The coastal temple town of Puri comes alive each year with the grand 'Rath Yatra', or chariot festival, in one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions. The centuries-old festival involves Hindu deities being taken out of the temple and driven in colourfully decorated chariots. The festival is one of Hinduism's most revered events and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees annually from across India and the world.
