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| Stampede in Puri Rath Yatra, six dead | | | Puri | July 7
In what may be described as a tragic turn of events in the Jagannath Rath Yatra which had begun with much fanfare and amidst tight security in the early hours of Friday, about six people died and several injured when a stampede occurred near the palace of the Maharaja of Puri. There are three women among dead.
Lakhs of devotees had assembled to witness the visit of the deity chariots to Gundicha’s Palace when suddenly the incident occurred. The incident is said to have been triggered by some confusion that took place when a kirtan band was dancing around the chariot of Lord Balabhadra.
The injured have been sent to the Puri hospital where some are reported to be in serious condition.
The incident has raised many eyebrows on the Puri administration, which had claimed that the security arrangements were perfect and nearly 4000 security personnel had been deployed to take care of any exigency.
Nearly one million people visit Puri during the 10-day Rath Yatra every year. Last time a stampede took place was in 2006 when the people were queuing up near the temple.
Meanwhile the Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has anounced a compensation of Rs One Lakh to the family of the deceased.
Second stampede in Puri in 20 months, first outside temple
The stampede at Jagannath temple on Friday was the second of its kind in a gap of 20 months, with the Justice P K Mohanty Committee yet to submit its report on the previous stampede in November 2006. Though stampedes had taken place inside the historic temple, it was perhaps for the first time in recent years that people were killed outside on an occasion like Rath Yatra.
"I do not recollect a stampede in Puri during Rath Yatra", chief administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple S C Mohapatra said.
While four persons were killed and 19 others injured on November 4, 2006, during the holy month of 'Kartik' as devotees in a long queue tripped when the temple gate suddenly opened, another mishap had taken place in November 1993 claiming six lives.
Today's incident already took six lives, including three women, besides leaving over 10 persons injured.
"Some of the seriously injured persons were shifted to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack," chief district medical officer, Puri, Trilochan Baral told a news agency.
The Justice P K Mohanty Committee, appointed by the state government to probe the November, 2006 tragedy, recorded statements of three personnel of the Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) before finalising his report, expected to be submitted soon, official sources said.
In a similar stampede 15 years ago, six persons were killed and 20 others injured in November 1993 on the occasion of Lord Jagannath's Nagarjuna 'Besha' (attire) ceremony.
The 1993 incident took place inside the temple as the security personnel allegedly blocked the main gate to pilgrims to ensure easy darshan for VVIP’s.
Though the government had constituted a judicial commission by appointing Justice J Mohapatra to probe the incident, the report was strangely not available with the government now.
"We could not trace the judicial commission's report when we searched for it after another stampede took place in 2006", a law department official said.
In another tragedy at a religious congregation, 176 people were burnt alive on February 23, 1997 at the 46th annual conference of Swami Nigamananda at Madhuban near Baripada town in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district. |
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