odisha news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Jan 1: A stampede-like situation erupted outside the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on Wednesday, as frustrated devotees broke through security barricades in a bid to enter the shrine for darshan of the sibling deities. Thousands of devotees had been waiting in line since Tuesday night, hoping to seek blessings from the Trinity housed within the 12th-century temple.
The queue extended over half a kilometer, reaching from the temple to Market Square. As the hours dragged on, tensions rose among the crowd, leading some devotees to breach the security cordon. This action caused a surge of people pushing forward, resulting in a chaotic stampede-like situation. While several devotees fell and were trampled in the commotion, thankfully, no casualties were reported.
Despite the panic, many individuals sustained only minor injuries and were promptly rescued by fellow devotees. This incident followed another scare near the temple’s entrance on Tuesday, where at least ten devotees fainted due to the overwhelming crowd. The combination of tightly packed crowds and pushing created a dangerously volatile atmosphere, prompting concerns about crowd management and safety measures at the site.
