Bhubaneswar, June 29: Odisha government on Sunday said that a thorough probe will be conducted into the stampede at Saradhabali near the Gundicha temple in Puri that claimed the lives of three people and left several others injured.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of the devotees and offered his condolences to their families.
He assured that a thorough investigation into the incident will be carried out, and strict action will be taken against those found responsible.
Taking to his official ‘X’ handle, Harichandan said, “Today, I am deeply saddened and distressed to hear about the tragic deaths of three devotees during the darshan of the deities near the Sri Gundicha Temple in Srikshetra due to a stampede.”
“While praying for the peace of the souls of the deceased at the Lord's feet, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. May Lord Jagannath grant them immense strength to endure this sorrowful time. The state government has ensured that the best medical care is being provided to the injured at the Puri District Headquarters Hospital. I also pray for the swift recovery of all the injured individuals,” he added.
Meanwhile, Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, speaking to the media, stated that after the ceremonial closure of Darshan, when the darshan of the deities began early in the morning, a large number of devotees rushed towards the cordon. Around nine people reported breathlessness and were evacuated to the hospital.
As of now, the deaths of three devotees have been confirmed, while six others are receiving treatment at the hospital. The post-mortem of the deceased is currently underway, he added.
Notably, the stampede occurred at around 4:00 AM when a large crowd had gathered for darshan of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, who were on their respective chariots.
Eyewitnesses said that panic broke out when workers unloading wooden logs from a truck near the gathering area caused a disturbance. The commotion led to a rush of people, and many were trampled in the ensuing chaos.
At the time, over 500 devotees were sitting on plastic mats, and many were injured in the stampede.
Survivors claimed that no police or officials were present during the stampede, but Puri SP Vinit Agrawal denied the allegations, confirming that police were deployed at the scene.
The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das, both from Balipatna. They were among hundreds of devotees who were waiting for darshan of the holy trinity when the situation suddenly spiraled out of control.
