Joyful moments of Puri’s Jagannath Rath Yatra come to grief at the Bora Danda (Grand Road Show). On Thursday, the chariot was pulled by a crowd of lakhs of people. About 120 fans are suffering from breathing problems due to crowd pressure. They were taken to Puri Medical College for treatment. It is said that one fan was killed in the incident.
Witnesses said one person fainted due to the huge crowd. He was rushed to Puri District Headquarters Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. However, no official statement was received from the administration or the police regarding the death.
Special rescue teams have started rescue operations to control the situation. Besides evacuating people trapped in the crowd, authorities have also imposed strict restrictions on public gatherings in Bora Danda.
The 12th century temple is the starting point for the chariot procession of Lord Jagannath, Balarama and Goddess Subhadra on Thursday. Lakhs of devotees had gathered in Puri since morning. Amidst the sound of conches, bells and cymbals, Chakraraja Sudarshan was first brought in the ‘Darpadalan’ chariot of Subhadra. Then Goddess Subhadra is brought in the chariot through ‘Shunya Pahandi’. Finally, when Lord Jagannath’s chariot procession started, the entire Bora Danda became resounding with the sound of ‘Jai Jagannath’.
However, at that auspicious moment of Rath Yatra, the situation went out of control due to the huge crowd. The enthusiasm of the devotees and the overflowing crowd around the chariot created chaos and stampede. The temple authorities and administration have beefed up security after the accident. Emergency alert has been issued to control the crowd and prevent recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the coming days.