Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed profound grief over a tragic stampede caused by overcrowding during Puri’s world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which killed three devotees.
Speaking on behalf of the state government and in a personal capacity, Chief Minister Majhi sought forgiveness from the affected families. In a post on X, he explained the cause of the incident, stating, "The overwhelming rush and eagerness of lakhs of devotees to catch a divine glimpse of the Lord resulted in the fatal tragedy."
He announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the deceased’s next of kin. The Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that a high-level administrative inquiry had been ordered under the Development Commissioner to investigate the incident thoroughly.
In response to the tragedy, the Chief Minister initiated a major administrative reshuffle. The Puri District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) have been transferred, with Chanchal Rana appointed as the new Collector and Pinak Mishra assuming charge as the new SP. Additionally, DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Pahi were suspended for alleged negligence of duty. The state government has appointed senior bureaucrat Aravind Agarwal as in-charge of overall supervision of Rath Yatra, reported PTI.
Earlier this morning, the devotional procession turned tragic when a stampede near Puri’s Gundicha Temple left three devotees dead and several others injured during the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra.
The incident occurred between 4:00 and 5:00 am at Saradhabali as a heavy crowd of weekend pilgrims gathered to witness the deities on their chariots. The deceased were identified as Premakanta Mohanty (80), Basanti Sahoo (36), and Prabhati Das (42), according to officials from Puri District Headquarters Hospital.
According to the police, the situation is under control now and devotees are ontinuing with the darshan peacefully.
