Puri: An elderly devotee died after reportedly suffering breathing difficulties amid heavy crowding and jostling inside the Natamandap of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Jadav Ray (72), a resident of Deuli Sahi in Dhenkanal district, who had visited the pilgrim town with his family to have darshan of Lord Jagannath.
According to reports, a large number of devotees thronged the temple from early morning on the occasion of Ekadashi. Amid the rush inside the Natamandap, devotees were reportedly pushing and jostling to catch a glimpse of the deities.
Ray, who was caught in the dense crowd, allegedly became breathless under the pressure and collapsed. His wife, fellow devotees and security personnel immediately rescued him and rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the temple premises and renewed concerns over crowd management and the safety of devotees during heavy footfall.
