Devotees thronged Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Dola Purnima, the pre-Holi festival in Odisha. The massive crowd suddenly led to a stampede-like situation within the temple complex, jagran.com reported.
Near the Dola Bedi area, a scuffle broke out among the crowd gathered for darshan, causing chaos. Several devotees were injured during the incident.
According to eyewitnesses, the number of devotees suddenly increased in the afternoon. The narrow space and the effort to move forward simultaneously led to jostling among the people. The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Women, the elderly, and children were the most affected.
Some devotees fell under the pressure of the crowd, causing widespread outcry. Bystanders attended to the injured and tried to pull them out. Later, security personnel and volunteers took charge and brought the crowd under control.
Police and temple administration officials arrived at the scene as soon as they received information. Additional forces were deployed to manage the movement of devotees. The injured were sent to a nearby hospital for first aid. The administration says the situation is now under control.
In February, a woman died while several others were injured in a stampede during the inauguration of Navgrah Temple in Dabra town of Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh. The incident happened during a religious event organised near Dabra stadium for the Kalash Yatra, a ritual of a Hindu temple inauguration.
Hundreds of women devotees turned up to participate in the Kalash Yatra, which turned into a stampede due to mismanagement. According to police, many women rushed forward during the distribution of the Kalash, leading to a stampede-like situation. One woman was crushed to death, said Gwalior Range IG Arvind Saxena.