6 girl students injured in minor stampede at Jagannath temple

The girl students were part of a 70-member group of boys and girls from Mayurbhanj district who came to Puri for a picnic during Christmas holidays. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment, where their condition is said to be stable.

Puri (Odisha):Six schoolgirls from Mayurbhanj district were hospitalized after being injured in a stampede-like situation at Shree Jagannath temple of Odisha's Puri town due to heavy rush of devotees on Monday.

Police officials said, "The girl students were part of a 70-member group of boys and girls from Hrudananda High School in Rasgovindpur area of Mayurbhanj district and had come to Puri for a picnic during Christmas holidays."

The students were at the sea beach throughout the day, and had visited the 12th-century shrine in the evening before preparing to return home. After waiting for a long, the students entered the temple premises, officials said.

A temple office-bearer said, "while climbing the 22 steps (Baisi Pahacha) to the temple at around 8 pm, the girls were caught in a stampede-like situation and fainted. The students felt suffocated and fell. There were a large number of visitors to the temple during the day."

The injured girls are students of classes nine and 10. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment, where their condition is said to be stable.