The Hindu : Front Page : Four die in Jagannath temple stampede

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Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
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Four die in Jagannath temple stampede

Special Correspondent

Rituals conducted as per schedule despite incident; Government orders judicial inquiry

PHOTO: PTI

HELPING HAND: Volunteers help a woman injured during a stampede in Jagannath temple in Puri on Saturday.

BHUBANESWAR: Four elderly persons, including three women, were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at the Jagannath temple in Puri on Saturday.

The incident occurred around 6 a.m. when thousands of pilgrims surged forward as one of the main entries was opened during the Mangal Aarti on the occasion of Bada Osha.

The victims have been identified as Shanti Rath, Basanti Nayak, Sarojini Panda and Ananda Mohapatra. Of the injured, 15 were admitted to the Government Hospital here while one, whose condition was serious, was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Some of them suffered burns as they fell on earthen lamps while most others fractured their limbs.

Ex gratia to be paid

The temple rituals in the temple were, however, conducted as per schedule. Top Government officials, including Home Secretary Tarunkanti Mishra and Director-General of Police Amarananda Patnaik, visited the site and the hospital.

A sitting judge of the High Court will inquire into the incident, Law Minister Biswabhushan Harichandan told presspersons here.

It also announced that an ex-gratia of Rs. 1 lakh each would be paid to the next of kin of the dead. Several people died in a similar incident in the temple in 1993.

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