A stampede at Saradhabali near the Gundicha Temple in Puri claimed at least three lives and injured over 50 devotees in the early hours of Sunday.
The state government has initiated swift action in response, constituting a high-level probe committee led by a senior District Commissioner to investigate the circumstances that led to the mishap.
The Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased. Additional financial and medical aid is being extended to those injured.
Amid mounting public outrage and concerns over crowd mismanagement, the Odisha government has removed Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agarwal. Senior bureaucrat Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new District Magistrate, while IPS officer Pinak Mishra will serve as the new Superintendent of Police.
Two police officers, DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhy were suspended have also been suspended for their alleged negligence in crowd management.
According to eyewitnesses, panic ensued when two trucks carrying ceremonial materials entered a congested zone around 4 a.m., causing a sudden crush among the gathered devotees.
While officials maintain that crowd-control protocols were in place, initial reports suggest a glaring lapse in on-ground execution. The DC-led panel is expected to submit its findings within a week, offering clarity and accountability.
Expressing deep grief, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibasingha Deba has appealed to the State Government to carry out a prompt and comprehensive enquiry regarding this most unfortunate incident and to take proper and immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
The Rath Yatra, which draws lakhs of pilgrims annually, remains a deeply revered event in Odisha’s cultural and spiritual landscape. The state now grapples with preventing such tragedies in future editions of the historic festival.
