Bhubaneswar: Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania visited Puri to assess the situation following a stampede-like incident near the Gundicha temple, which resulted in the deaths of three devotees and injured several others.
Khurania stated that an investigation into the incident is currently underway, and corrective measures are being taken to ensure the safety of devotees. He appealed to devotees to follow police directions and cooperate with authorities, particularly avoiding taking pictures on mobile phones that can create problems.
“We are taking all-out efforts to ensure smooth darshan of devotees with safety,” Khurania said. “I would like to request all devotees to follow the police direction at various points.”
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain confirmed the deaths and stated that post-mortem examinations are being conducted. According to medical reports, six people were injured and are receiving treatment, with their condition reported to be stable.
The incident occurred when a heavy crowd gathered for darshan after the ‘Pahuda’ was opened at 4 am. Eyewitnesses claim a truck loaded with Charamala wood suddenly entered the crowd, triggering the stampede, which resulted in over 50 devotees being injured.
