NEW DELHI A sudden stampede and crowd surge at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India on Sunday resulted in three fatalities and over a dozen injuries, according to local authorities.
According to Puri’s top government official, Siddharth Shankar Swain, there was an unexpected rise in devotees hoping to catch a sight of the Hindu deities, and some of them fainted, felt smothered, or complained of being out of breath.
Three people were declared dead after 15 people were taken to a nearby government hospital, Swain told The Associated Press. To ascertain the precise causes of death, autopsies are planned. The remaining twelve individuals have been released.
According to Swain, tens of thousands of worshippers flocked to Shree Gundicha Temple, which is next to the well-known Jagannatha Temple, in the seaside resort early on Sunday in order to see the gods riding in three chariots.
One of the oldest and biggest religious processions in the world, the Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, brings the seaside temple town of Puri to life every year. Hindu idols are removed from the temple and transported on vibrantly painted chariots during the centuries-old celebration.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over India and the world flock to the festival, which is one of the most venerated occasions in Hinduism.
In a social media post, former top elected official Naveen Patnaik of Odisha state, the state in which Puri is located, said that there was a startling failure on the part of the administration to have any equipment in place to control the thronging people.
“The government’s egregious callousness has undoubtedly contributed to this tragedy, even though I do not accuse them of criminal negligence,” he said.
Patnaik described the event as a rush that highlights the government’s obvious incapacity to provide a tranquil celebration for followers.
The highest elected official of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, expressed regret for the incident on social media, claiming that it was caused by a stampede of devotees who were excited to see the gods.
According to Majhi, the security lapse would be looked into right away.
He declared that this carelessness is unacceptable and that the individuals responsible would face tangible consequences.
