Four killed in Puri temple stampede

The prospect of darshan of Lord Jagannath on the occasion of Bada Osa turned tragic for thousands of devotees early on Saturday when a stampede on the temple premises claimed four lives and left 14 others injured.

The prospect of darshan of Lord Jagannath on the occasion of Bada Osa turned tragic for thousands of devotees early on Saturday when a stampede on the temple premises claimed four lives and left 14 others injured. Most victims were women and in the age group of 50 to 60.

The incident occurred around 6.40 am near the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where around 40,000 devotees, mostly among the elderly and widows, had gathered for the morning prayers.

The door to the sanctorum was closed during the arti ritual and when it was opened, there was a mad rush among the devotees to get inside. Two women tripped and fell, to be trampled by a surge of the devotees. More than a dozen were caught in the stampede and had to be rushed to hospital. Two of them succumbed later. One of the devotees sustained burn injuries as she was pushed on to a stand holding earthen lamps stand near the entrance. 8220;Once the door was thrown open, everyone tried to get inside and a stampede ensued. Such a huge crowd is not usually expected during the Mangala Arti ritual,8221; chief administrator of the temple SC Mohapatra said.

The state government has ordered a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court. Describing the incident as unfortunate, Law Minister Biswabhusan Harichandan said the judicial probe has been ordered to ascertain the circumstances under which the incident occurred. The administration would ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, he said. A similar incident in 1993 during Nagarjuna Vesha festival had claimed three lives.

The government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. The administration will also bear treatment expenses of the injured. The temple administration also announced a similar package for the victims. Services in the temple returned to normal a few hours later. Rituals recommenced and darshan in the sanctum sanctorum was also allowed.