PremiumCuttack stampede update: Following a fatal incident of stampede during Makar Mela on Saturday, 14 January that saw one getting killed and several injured the Odisha Government has imposed Section 144 in the city of Cuttack for the next two days.
Further entry for visitors have been clamped at the Singhanath Temple.
The incident occurred on Saturday during the Makar Mela rush on the Gopinathpur- Badamba T-bridge over River Mahanadi in Athagarh.
Badamba Executive Magistrate said, "In anticipation of a breach of peace and law and order situation, Section 144 has been imposed in the temple to prevent the public from entering the T-bridge (to the entrance of the temple) as well as in and around the premises of the temple."
"The restrictions will come into effect from today till January 16 to maintain law and order situations," he said.
One person was killed while twenty others were injured during the stampede that happened when the devotees were going to seek blessings at the 7th-century-old Singhanath Temple in Baramba during Makar Mela.
According to officials, more than a dozen minors were injured during the stampede.
"One dead while nine were injured in the incident, three were referred to another hospital in Cuttack," said Dr Ranjan Kumar Barik, Baramba hospital.
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.
Mishra said other injured persons were admitted to a community health centre (CHC) in Badamba.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
The district administration said the congregation was massive as people were visiting the temple after a gap of two years due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Devotees from Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh and Nayagarh districts had come to the temple in large numbers, an official said.