Three Devotees Dead, Several Injured In Stampede On Puri Saradhabali

In a tragic event, a stampede on Saradhabali near the Sri Gundicha temple in Puri at approximately four in the morning on Sunday claimed the lives of three devotees, including two ladies. The names of the deceased are Pravati Das of Balipatna in Khurdha, Premakant Mohanty of Bhubaneswar, and Basanti Sahu (36), of Bolagarh in Nayagarh.

After the “Pahuda” was opened at 4 am, a sizable group of devotees assembled for the darshan of Lord Jagannath and his siblings riding chariots, which led to the regrettable occurrence. Witnesses claim that the rush was started when a truck carrying Charamala wood unexpectedly approached the throng. When more than 500 devotees were seated on plastic mats at the time of the event, the confusion led to more than 50 of them being hurt.

Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan expressed shock over the incident and assured a thorough investigation, stating that action would be taken accordingly. The Chief Minister has been apprised of the matter. Meanwhile, DGP YB Khurania directed senior police officials to reach the spot and assess the situation. Khurania also visited Puri today in the morning and reviewed the situation personally.