Tripura: A rath yatra in Tripura turned into tragedy on Thursday, June 29, 2023, when a chariot carrying a religious icon overturned, killing six people including 2 children due to electrocution and injuring 15 others.
The accident occurred in the town of Agartala, the capital of Tripura, as the chariot was making its way through a crowded street. The chariot was carrying a statue of the Hindu deity Jagannath, and it was estimated that there were over 1,000 people in the procession at the time of the accident.
The incident happened around 4:30 PM in the Kumarghat area during the ‘Ulta Rath’ or return car festival of Lord Jagannath organized by ISKON. Thousands of people were pulling the chariot, made of iron and heavily decorated when it came in contact with a 133 KV overhead cable. Parts of Rath immediately caught fire and fell on the road with their bodies on flame.
PM Modi announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs for the next of kin of the people killed in Tripura’s Ulta Rath Yatra abd Rs. 50000 for those seriously injured.
The rath yatra is a Hindu festival that is celebrated annually in many parts of India. The festival involves the pulling of a chariot carrying a religious icon, and it is a popular event that attracts large crowds. This is the first time that a rath yatra has turned into a tragedy in Tripura. The accident has shocked the local community, and the government has ordered an investigation into the matter.
The rath yatra is a religious festival that is meant to be a celebration, but this tragedy has turned it into a day of mourning. The families of the victims are grieving their loss, and the community is trying to come to terms with what happened.