In Puri's Rath Yatra Chaos: Tragic Stampede Claims Three Lives, Many Injured
Chaos at Puri's Jagannath Rath Yatra: Tragic Incident Leaves 3 Dead, 10 Injured in Stampede
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, three individuals, two of them women, lost their lives, and ten others were left injured during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri, Odisha. The incident took place when the three holy chariots housing Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Shubhadra were nearing the Shree Gundicha Temple, roughly three kilometers from the Jagannath temple.
As the festive fervor swelled around 4:30 AM today, the immense gathering at the Gundicha temple witnessed a catastrophic stampede. The victims, identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and 70-year-old Premakant Mohanty, hailed from Khurda district and were among the thousands who had journeyed to Puri for the Rath Yatra.
Reports from local media suggest that the police response to the situation was found wanting. The condition of several injured individuals is critical, according to sources.
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain confirmed the grim news, stating that the victims' bodies had been sent for a thorough autopsy to determine the cause of death. Swain assured that adequate security arrangements had been made; however, the unexpected surge in the crowd left officials scrambling to restore order.
The Rath Yatra entails three grand chariots trailing the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Shubhadra throughout the event, culminating at the Gundicha Temple. The deities reside at the temple for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.
Expressing his condolences, former Chief Minister and BJD chief, Naveen Patnaik, believed the tragedy exposed the state government's inability to secure a peaceful celebration. He stressed the "glaring incompetence" showcased by the authorities and the latest stampede, which occurred just a day after the Rath Yatra saw many injured, highlighting the government's lack of preparation.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister and BJP's key leader in Odisha, confirmed conversation with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi regarding the stampede. Manjhi reportedly accepted responsibility for the incident and promised to address the matter promptly.
Remembering the lost lives and praying for the swift recovery of the injured, here's a look at the advanced crowd control measures in place during the Rath Yatra:
- Artificial Intelligence Surveillance: Odisha Police has implemented around 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras along the Rath Yatra route to monitor real-time crowd movements and traffic flow.
- Integrated Command and Control Room: A 24/7 control room at the Town Police Station in Puri tracks live feeds from AI cameras and facilitates localized management at critical points along the route.
- Advanced Crowd Guidance: A dedicated mobile application and chatbot help devotees navigate the crowded event, providing route suggestions, real-time crowd density updates, parking availability, and location data to ease congestion.
- Deployment of Security Personnel: Around 10,000 security forces, including police, paramilitary, and special units, are deployed to ensure safety during the Rath Yatra.
- Marine and Coastal Security: The Marine Police, Indian Coast Guard, and Indian Navy work together to ensure security along the coastal areas, given Puri's close proximity to the sea.
However, the recent tragedy underscores the ongoing need for reform and stringent safety measures to safeguard the lives of the millions of devotees attending this historical event. #Puri #RathYatra #Tragedy #Stampede #Odisha #Prayers
- The ongoing tragedy at the Puri Rath Yatra, marked by a fatal stampede and critical injuries, raises concerns about the state's capacity to handle general-news situations, and particularly, crowd control during events like crime-and-justice incidents and accidents.
- As a result of the unfortunate stampede during the Puri Rath Yatra, there is an urgent call for reevaluating the effectiveness of advanced crowd control measures, such as the deployment of AI surveillance, integrated command and control rooms, advanced crowd guidance systems, and the large-scale deployment of security forces, to prevent similar accidents in future political and religious events.
