Cuttack stampede: One person was killed and more than 20 others were injured as a stampede broke out on the Gopinathpur-Badamba T bridge over river Mahanadi in Cuttack district. The incident happened on Saturday during Makar Sankranti Mela. As per the reports, those who injured during the incident were admitted to a hospital in Badamba.
According to local media reports, over 2.5 lakh devotees turned up to participate in Makar Mela at Singhanath temple in Athgarh. This resulted in a heavy rush on Gopinathpur-Badamba T Bridge which connects the main road with the temple located in river Mahanadi.
CM announces compensation
Badamba-Narsinghpur MLA and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra confirmed that one woman, identified as 45-year-old Anjana Swain, died in the incident, while four seriously injured people were admitted to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack city. Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed grief on the death of a woman and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs for the next of kin of the deceased.
Mishra said other injured persons were admitted to a community health centre (CHC) in Badamba.
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 organised on the occasion and also to pay obeisance to Lord Singhanath.
The district administration said the congregation was massive as people were visiting the temple after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Devotees from Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh and Nayagarh districts had come to the temple in large numbers, the sub-collector said.
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