look news india
Bhubaneswar stampede: The festival of faith and devotion, Rath Yatra, took a tragic turn on Sunday in Puri, Odisha when a stampede occurred while pulling the chariot of Lord Balabhadra.
One devotee died in this accident, while more than 400 people were injured. The condition of many of the injured is said to be critical. Two policemen were also injured in the stampede. It has been reported that one policeman's leg was broken.
There was a lot of shouting and screaming on the spot after the accident. The injured have been admitted to the district hospital of Puri, where they are undergoing treatment. As soon as the information of the incident was received, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling reached the hospital and enquired about the condition of the injured.
There was a huge crowd of people in Puri on Sunday and they were celebrating the Rath Yatra festival with full enthusiasm. Lakhs of devotees gathered to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. At around 5:20 pm, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati worshipped the chariots and performed the ritual of Chehra Pahara.
After this, as soon as the process of pulling Lord Balabhadra's chariot Taladhwaj started, the crowd went out of control. Soon there was a stampede. People started running here and there and falling on each other. The stampede was so fast that people did not get a chance to recover.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Puri. Everyone was sad to see people struggling between life and death in the hospital. A team of doctors has started treating the injured. Many injured have been put on oxygen. The pilgrim who died in this accident has not been identified.
Police are trying to trace his family members. According to initial information, the deceased pilgrim was from outside Odisha. Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling expressed grief over the accident and said that all possible help will be given to the injured. He has ordered officials to investigate the accident.
