E-Paper
'No one responded,' says victim's husband after Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede kills 3
“No one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team,” said the man who lost his wife in Odisha stampede.
A man who lost his wife in the stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri during the Jagannath Rath Yatra procession has blamed poor emergency response, saying, “rescue team, fire officials didn’t respond.”
At least three people died and around 50 others were injured in the early morning stampede on Sunday. The incident occurred around 4 am, according to Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain, when hundreds of devotees had gathered to witness the annual chariot procession of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
“When this incident happened, no one responded, neither the fire officials, nor the rescue team, nor the hospital team,” the man told news agency ANI. “This is a pathetic incident that cannot be expressed.”
Officials said the chaos began when two trucks carrying materials for rituals entered a crowded stretch near the chariots, triggering panic and a stampede-like situation.
The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Balipatna. Six of the injured remain in critical condition at a local hospital.
Eyewitness recount Puri Rath Yatra stampede
Another eyewitness, Swadhin Kumar Panda, a resident of Puri, said there were several lapses in crowd management. “I was there near the temple till 2–3 am last night, but the management was not good,” he told ANI.
“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,” he said.
Panda also criticised the traffic arrangements and claimed, “The administration did not control the crowd properly. The biggest problem was the exit gate.”
“Many people died on the day of the Rath Yatra too, but the government and administration did not disclose it and said there were no casualties. Today, three people have died – two women, one man. The Odisha administration is responsible for this. There was no police, administration there at night,” news agency ANI quoted the man as saying.
3 dead due to suffocation
Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Sunday said that the government is taking serious steps after the stampede at the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, which left three people dead and several others injured.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Harichandan said, "It is an unfortunate incident. We are taking note of that. I spoke with the CM this morning. We are taking stringent action. DGP has been sent to the spot."
According to him, “Three people have passed away because of suffocation in the huge gathering. Six to seven people are injured.”
The minister said he is on his way to Puri and is closely monitoring the situation. “I am moving to Puri. I am monitoring the situation over the phone. We are trying our best to manage the crowd. Additional police have been deployed. The reasons for the incident are being investigated,” he added.
Harichandan also assured that the situation had stabilised. “The situation is now under control and the people are having darshan,” he said.
DGP Y B Khurania and other senior officials visited the spot and are assessing the situation.
The Rath Yatra began on Saturday with the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra reaching the Shree Gundicha Temple — considered their aunt’s home. The return journey, or Bahuda Yatra, is scheduled for July 5.
