Cuttack (Odisha): One woman is feared dead and around 20 devotees sustained injuries after over-crowding led to a stampede on the Badamba-Gopinathpur T-bridge over the Mahanadi river in Odisha's Cuttack district.
A large number of devotees reached 'Singhanath peeth' temple on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and the Gpinathpur-Badamba route witnessed a huge rush of people. According to police sources the stampede took place as a large crowd gathered on the on Badamba-Gopinathpur T-Bridge on the occasion of Makar Mela.
Confirming the death toll, Badamba-Narsinghpur MLA and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra said that one woman has died in the stampede. He also said that the deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Anjana Swain. The MLA also said that four seriously injured persons have been admitted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack.
Sources in the district administration said that a huge number of people gathered to visit the temple after a gap of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As for the reason behind the stampede, Athagarh Sub-collector Hemanta Kumar Swain said the incident took place due to a sudden increase in the number of devotees, including women and children, in the afternoon to visit a fair organized on the occasion and also to pay obeisance to Lord Singhanath.
Devotees from Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, and Nayagarh districts had come to the temple in large numbers, officials said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. "The injured persons will get free treatment and I wish speedy recovery of injured persons," Patnaik said in a statement.
