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Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Indian Express
‘No police, no systems in place… who will compensate my loss': Lapses behind Puri's Rath Yatra stampede
Family members of those killed in the stampede that took place in Puri, where hundreds of thousands of devotees have gathered for the annual Rath Yatra festival, have raised questions about the lack of security personnel and arrangements at the site of the incident. Three people were killed and more than 50 were injured in the stampede early Sunday morning outside the Gundicha Temple. Among the three dead was 42-year-old Basanti Sahoo, a native of Khurda, who had come to Puri with her husband and children to attend the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. 'There was no system in place at all, even when the crowd swelled near the chariot after darshan started at around 4 am. While devotees were going from one side, a large crowd approached from the other, leading to chaos and jostling. We couldn't find any police personnel at the spot,' said Dillip Sahoo, Basanti's husband. Dillip, who lives in a slum in Bhubaneswar along with his daughter, son and other family members, performed Basanti's last rites at Swargadwara in Puri. The two other deceased were identified as Pravati Das (52) of Balipatna in Khurda, and Bhubaneswar native Premakanta Mohanty (78). 'My wife and others would have been saved had there been any arrangement for smooth arrival of ambulances to the spot. There was no police deployment and no volunteers despite there being utter chaos. Who will compensate my loss?' asked Pravati's husband Biswajit. According to those who witnessed the chaos, it went on for around 20 minutes while two vehicles entered the densely crowded area. Locals and other devotees were the first responders, pulling injured people from the crowd and taking them to nearby hospitals. 'Despite a large crowd forming overnight, darshan was closed early (at around midnight). Those who couldn't take darshan at night continued to wait near the chariots till morning. The crowd swelled suddenly as soon as the 'pahada bhanga' ritual started. This triggered the stampede,' said an eyewitness. Several others blamed a faulty barricading system for the chaos. As part of the Rath Yatra, all three chariots of the deities reached Gundicha Temple on Saturday, where the deities will stay till the Bahuda Yatra scheduled for July 5. On Friday, more than 200 devotees had fallen ill during the Rath Yatra due to overcrowding and humidity. The Odisha government has ordered an administrative probe into the matter to be conducted by a committee headed by Development Commissioner Anu Garg. Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinit Agrawal have been replaced. Two senior police officers have also been suspended for 'dereliction of duty'. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the 'negligence was unpardonable'. While expressing condolences, he also announced ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. 'Exemplary action will be taken against those responsible for the situation,' the Chief Minister said. A major administrative shake-up has also been initiated for the smooth conduct of the remaining rituals, including Bahuda Yatra and Suna Besha. The move is also seen as an attempt to restore the faith of the public in the system. Senior IAS officer Aravind Agrawal, who earlier served as Puri Collector, has been assigned to be in charge of overall supervision of the festival, while Additional Director General S K Priyadarshi, an experienced hand in Rath Yatra crowd management, has been made in-charge of general police arrangement. The BJP government in Odisha, which had said it would make this year's yatra 'incident-free and memorable', has also been targeted by the Opposition. Odisha's Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik hit out at the BJP-led government, saying, 'Today's stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the Rath Yatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern over the incident. 'This tragedy is a serious warning — for such large events, security arrangements and crowd management preparations must be taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed. Protecting lives is paramount, and no lapses in this responsibility are acceptable,' he said in a post on X. Devotees continued to throng Puri on Sunday to get a glimpse of the deities taken to Gundicha Temple from the chariots in a ceremonial procession.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Time of India
Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede: Eye witnesses recall horror; ex-CM Patnaik blames 'incompetence' for deaths
Three devotees died and over 50 others were injured in a deadly stampede near the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, during the annual Rath Yatra festival on Sunday morning. The incident unfolded between 4 and 5 am as thousands of pilgrims had gathered to witness the rituals when chaos broke out, reportedly due to two ritual trucks entering a congested area. Also read: 3 dead, 50 injured in stampede near Puri's Gundicha Temple Officials identified the deceased as Premakant Mohanty (80), Basanti Sahoo (36), and Prabhati Das (42). While the situation was later brought under control, the tragedy has drawn sharp criticism over the failure in crowd management, with eyewitnesses blaming poor planning and VIP arrangements for the chaos. The state government has launched an investigation, and Odisha's Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania was sent to the spot to take stock. This is the first time such a fatal incident has occurred near the Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra. Eyewitness accounts point to chaos and mismanagement Several eyewitnesses recounted scenes of utter confusion and mismanagement. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a local resident, said, 'I was there near the temple till 23 am last night, but the management was not good. A new way was made for VIPs, and common people were asked to exit from a distance. People started exiting from the entrance itself, which increased the crowd.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Does My Family Name Mean? beenverified Sign Up Undo He added that unauthorised vehicles had entered the restricted zones near the temple, worsening the situation. 'There was no police or administration present at night… The Odisha administration is responsible for this,' he said. Another grieving man who lost his wife in the stampede said no fire, rescue, or hospital officials responded promptly. 'This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed,' he said. Law Minister confirms deaths, promises action Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan confirmed that three people died due to suffocation and six to seven were seriously injured. 'It is an unfortunate incident. We are taking note of that. I spoke with the CM this morning. We are taking stringent action,' he told ANI, adding that the DGP had been dispatched to the site. 'The situation is now under control and the people are having darshan,' Harichandan said. He stated that additional police had been deployed and an investigation was underway. 'We are trying our best to manage the crowd,' he said, assuring that he was personally monitoring the situation and would take necessary steps to avoid a repeat. Former CM Patnaik slams 'glaring incompetence' Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik issued a strongly worded statement, criticising the current administration's failure to ensure safety. 'Today's stampede, occurring just a day after the abysmal failure of crowd management during the Rath Yatra that left hundreds injured, exposes the government's glaring incompetence,' he wrote on X. He also said the initial response came not from officials but from devotees' relatives. 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' he said, urging immediate corrective measures for upcoming rituals like Adapa Bije and Bahuda Yatra. Chariot procession overwhelmed by crowd, trucks blamed The stampede reportedly began when two trucks carrying ritual materials entered the already packed area near the chariots. Eyewitness Chinmay Patra said, 'The narrow congregation site, combined with limited police presence and scattered palmlog ladders near the chariots, created hazardous conditions for devotees.' The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra had reached the Gundicha Temple on Saturday, one day after the Rath Yatra commenced. Local resident Debasis Das said that the pulling of Lord Jagannath's chariot had already faced delays due to crowd pressure. 'Sunday's tragedy was a devastating repeat,' he said. Health emergency: Hundreds fall ill, 12 in ICU On Saturday, a day before the stampede, over 750 people reportedly suffered from exhaustion and heatrelated issues due to the massive turnout. Around 230 devotees were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital and another 520 to the district headquarters hospital, with 12 admitted to ICU. One critically ill patient was shifted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack.
