Monday, November 06, 2006

Tragedy in SriMandir

Puri, 04/11 (VISAKEO): At least 4 people died and 25 people injured in a heavy crowd in the world famous Puri Jagannath temple premise today in the morning. The injured people have been shifted to the nearest government hospital. Such an incident is a matter of insult for which the State Government has condemned the administration.

 

On the eve of Bada Osha and concluding day of Kartik Poornami the members of the famous temple had turned off the doors to offer a VIP treatment to one of VIP in the State. In the mean time, the people made crowd in the premise to have a darshan to the three Lords – Jagannath, Balvadra, and Devi Subhadra. When one door was opened the crowd was out of control, as a result, 4 people were subject for the death and other 25 people are still fighting with death in the hospital. One of the died people Basanti belongs to Balasore, one from Berhampur, another from Sambalpur and the last old man’s dead bodu can not be recognized.

 

The doors of the temple never get closed during the holy month of Kartik, as the devotees come from different areas and localities to the temple particularly in this month for the rituals, that’s why such type of incident never happens, opines the district collector of Puri. However the tragedy happened because of the separation of the temple administration and the police from each other caused by crowd, but the death due to crowd is not for the first time rather it is the second tragedy after the Nagarjun besha in 1993 when 5 people had been the victim in the temple premise, said the temple Administrator. The question arises why the doors were shut down in the morning? The local unit said this is for the sake of VIP treatment to one of the Minister of the State. The chief minister Naveen Pattanaik and the Speaker Maheswar Mohanty have made the administration responsible for such happening. It is due to lack of foresight of the administration that led to such an offending in the temple premise, said the Speaker Mr. Mohanty. The chief minister Naveen Pattanaik has condoled over the matter and announced Rs- 1 lakh to the dead people’s families and also to provide free hospitality to the injured people. He has appointed special tem for the investigation of the matter.


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