Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he was deeply pained by the stampede near a temple in Odisha’s Puri, and asserted that the “negligence and mismanagement” which led to the tragedy are inexcusable.

At least three persons, including two women, were killed and around 50 others injured in the stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple on Sunday morning, officials said.

“I am deeply pained by the stampede during the Mahaprabhu Jagannath Rath Yatra, which claimed three lives and injured at least 50 people. This tragedy follows reports of 500 devotees being injured on Friday during the yatra.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured devotees. The negligence and mismanagement that led to this tragedy are inexcusable,” Kharge said in a post on X.

The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain said.

The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people is critical, he said.

“The state government and authorities must conduct a thorough investigation into the grave lapses that caused this incident. Ensuring public safety and effective crowd management is paramount, especially during pre-planned festivities. Those responsible for this tragedy must be held accountable under the law,” Kharge said.

The Congress Party stands in solidarity with the devotees and commits to supporting all efforts to provide relief, medical assistance, and aid to the affected families, he added.

Better arrangements should have been made: Dharmendra Pradhan

Expressing grief over the death of three persons in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri on Sunday, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the management should have made better arrangements.

At least three persons were killed and around 50 others injured in the stampede near the temple in the early hours of Sunday.

"The management there should have made better arrangements... I express my condolences," the Union education minister, who hails from Odisha, told PTI Videos at Panihati in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

Stating that he has spoken to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as well the local administration in Puri, he said that Majhi and the administration have taken charge of the situation "responsibly".

Carry out prompt, comprehensive inquiry into stampede: Puri's titular king to Odisha govt

Puri's titular king Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb on Sunday expressed shock over the stampede during the famed Rath Yatra and appealed to the Odisha government to immediately carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.

The titular king, who is also the chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), urged the state government to take proper and immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of any such incident.

"Shree Gajapati Maharaja has appealed to the state government to carry out a prompt and comprehensive inquiry regarding this most unfortunate incident and to take proper and immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," his office said in a statement.

Deb said he was "shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the stampede last night near Shree Gundicha Temple in which three devotees lost their lives and many others were injured".

He also offered prayers for the departed souls and conveyed his deep condolences to the members of the bereaved families.

Protecting lives paramount, any lapse unacceptable: Rahul Gandhi

Condoling the loss of lives in the stampede near Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said protecting lives is paramount and any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable.

He said the tragedy is a serious warning that security arrangements and crowd management for such big events should be taken seriously and must be reviewed.

"The stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri is extremely saddening. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and I hope for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi on X.

He appealed to the Odisha government to speed up the relief work and urged Congress workers to help in every possible way.

"This tragedy is a serious warning - security arrangements and crowd management for such big events should be taken seriously and must be reviewed," Gandhi said.

"Protecting lives is paramount, and any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable," he asserted.

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