Puri, July 10, (Newshub desk) — In the wake of the tragic stampede during the Rath Yatra on June 29, which claimed the lives of three devotees near Shree Gundicha Temple, the Odisha government has intensified its investigation.
Anu Garg, Development Commissioner and head of the inquiry committee, oversaw the recording of statements from 48 witnesses today at the Puri Circuit House, following 17 earlier testimonies in Bhubaneswar.
The committee aims to scrutinise crowd control mechanisms and overall security arrangements that may have contributed to the incident.
The victims—Basanti Sahu (42), Prem Kanta Mahanti (78), and Prabhati Das (52)—belonged to Khordha, Nayapalli, and Balipatana, respectively.
Their untimely deaths have sparked widespread concern about managing large religious gatherings.
Citizens have been urged to share any information or relevant video footage by July 20 via puritragedy.enquiry@odisha.gov.in.
The committee’s findings are expected to shape future protocols to prevent similar tragedies and strengthen public safety measures.
