Bhubaneswar, June 29: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Sunday expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic stampede at Saradhabali near the Gundicha Temple in Puri that claimed the lives of three devotees and left several others injured.
Taking to his official ‘X’ handle, CM Majhi personally extended his heartfelt apologies to all the Jagannath devotees affected by the tragic event, on behalf of both himself and the state government.
He also conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased, praying to Lord Jagannath to grant them strength to cope with this profound loss.
“Due to the overwhelming rush of devotees for the darshan of Lord Jagannath at Saradhabali, a tragic incident occurred. Personally, and on behalf of my government, I offer my heartfelt apologies to all the Jagannath devotees affected by this tragedy. I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and I pray to Lord Jagannath to give them the strength to endure such immense sorrow,” he wrote.
CM Majhi also addressed the safety lapses that contributed to the stampede, calling the negligence "unforgivable."
He assured that an immediate and thorough investigation would be conducted into the incident, with a focus on the security lapses that led to the tragic event. The Chief Minister emphasized that strict and exemplary actions would be taken against those responsible for the safety failures, ensuring such incidents do not occur in the future.
“This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the safety lapse will be carried out, and necessary steps will be taken to ensure exemplary actions are taken against those responsible,” 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.
