Puri: Amid a huge crowd thronging the Jagannath Temple on the occasion of Sankranti on Wednesday, a woman devotee fell down while standing in the queue. While the commotion was intense in the midst of religious fervour, many devotees felt suffocated and one among them fell on the ground.
She was shifted to a shelter and administered first aid. Reports said the temple administration had allowed entry of devotees from both east and west gates owing to the huge footfall of devotees.
Puri SP Dr KV Singh dismissed any kind of stampede or stampede-like situation as was reported in some sections of the media. Dr Singh said, “There has been no stampede. Do not believe in rumours. A woman fell down for some illness. There was no need for hospitalisation and she recovered soon. There is a huge crowd in Jagannath Temple on the occasion of festivals and we have ample deployment of force for safety and security.”
