Pilgrim Dies during Chariot Pulling at Puri

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Jul 13, 2010 — JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — Chaos prevailed during the pulling of chariots on Rath Yatra at Puri today, following the death of a female pilgrim (62) in the crowd on Grand Road. The family members of the deceased allege that she died due to stampede. A few more pilgrims were injured in the stampede-like situation.

The victim was identified as Bijaylaxmi Mohanty, a resident of Markandeswarsahi in Puri. The tragedy struck when the chariot of Lord Balabhadra was being pulled on Grand Road.

"My mother fell down in mob. She died after people stepped on her. I cried for help. But nobody came forward," said the victim's son. "I called up the ambulance who rushed my mother to hospital. But it was too late," he said.

"The woman was declared brought dead by doctors while three others are undergoing treatment. Their condition is stable," said Chief District Medical Officer of Puri, Narahari Maharana.

Notably, stampede revisited Puri after two years. During the July 2008 Rath Yatra, six pilgrims were killed and scores injured during the pulling of chariots on Grand Road. Similarly, four pilgrims were trampled inside Jagannath Temple during the holy month of Kartika, in November 2006. And several people had died in a similar mishap that occurred during Nagarjuna Besa in 1993.

Meanwhile, today's ‘stampede-like situation' did not affect the proceedings of Rath Yatra. "Rath Yatra went on smoothly," said Laxmidhar Pujapanda, the public relations officer. "It is indeed a sad matter. But we have the updates that the woman died in a street near Jagannath Temple. She did not die on Grand Road," Pujapanda said.

The state government had not announced any monetary assistance for the victim's family by evening. Even the temple administration has the provision to provide insurance coverage of Rs 1 lakh to those who die on Grand Road and inside Jagannath Temple during a religious festival.