Rath Yatra stampede: Puri DCP, Police Commandant suspended following tragic incident
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Puri DCP Bishnu Charan Pati and Police Commandant Ajay Padhi have been suspended following the stampede at the Jagannath Yatra in the city that killed three people and injured around 50 others, announced Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.Further, Majhi announced the transfers of Puri Collector Siddharth S Swain and SP Binit Agarwal after the tragic incident. The state government announced a financial aid of Rs 25 lakh to the next kin of the victims of the stampede.A stampede took place early Sunday morning near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha. The tragic incident occurred around 4 am when a large number of devotees had gathered near the temple as part of the annual Rath Yatra celebrations. The event attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across India.Swain said that the injured have been taken to nearby hospitals, and the condition of six of them remains critical.The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem.The stampede follows a health emergency on Saturday, when nearly 750 devotees had to be taken to hospitals due to exhaustion and pressure from the dense crowd.According to health officials, more than 230 people were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), while about 520 others were treated at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Most were discharged after receiving first aid.One devotee in a critical condition was transferred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for further care. At least 12 other patients are still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).Officials are keeping a close watch on the situation. The administration has asked devotees to stay cautious and cooperate with the authorities during the ongoing Rath Yatra.
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