One died and several others were injured after a panic spread amongst the crowd at the iconic Rath Yatra celebrations in Orissa’s Puri on Thursday.
“There has been no stampede in Puri. A temporary crowd surge resulted in seven devotees feeling unwell. They were immediately attended to by the authorities and shifted to the hospital for prompt medical care. The overall situation in Puri is normal. Adequate crowd management measures are in place, and devotees are requested to remain calm, follow the directions of the police and administration, and avoid spreading or believing unverified information,” official sources.
A 60 year old senior citizen is said to have died during treatment. While hospital staff is yet to determine the exact cause of the death. Other injured are reportedly under observation.
Thousands of devotees gathered at Puri to witness the age old Rath Yatra festival held every year to offer special prayers to Lord Jagannath Swamy and his divine siblings, Lord Balarama and the Goddess Subhadra.
Emergency rescue teams and security personnel rushed to the spot, evacuating several people on stretchers and providing immediate medical assistance as the crowd swelled near the Singhadwara of the Jagannath Temple.
In view of the recent rainfall, Orissa CM had reviewed the preparedness and emphasised the safety and convenience of devotees. The sea side state faced severe waterloging due to which the Puri district administration, the municipal authorities, and relevant departments were instructed to remain on high alert.
19 IPas officers and 13,000 police personnel have beeb deployed to maintain law and order during the festival. Additionally, 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces – including the CRPF, BSF, RAF, and National Security – have been stationed at strategic points to fortify security.
Over all 473 AI powered CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the Grand Road and adjoining areas through two command-and-control centres, officials said.