Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today apologised over the incident of stampede near the Gundicha temple in Puri in the early hours of Sunday that claimed three lives and left several devotees injured.

"My government and I seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were lost at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow," the CM said in a statement.

"This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted. I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible," he added.

About the stampede

A stampede near the Gundicha temple in Puri in the early hours of Sunday claimed three lives and left several devotees injured, marring the Rath Yatra festivities.

The incident occurred around 4:00 AM when thousands had gathered near the chariots of Lord Jagannath and His siblings for darshan on Saradhabali.

According to eyewitnesses, a truck carrying wooden logs arrived at the spot, where more than 500 devotees were sitting on plastic mats as they were waiting to have a glimpse of the deities on the chariots after the conclusion of the pahuda ritual.

The situation turned chaotic when workers began unloading wooden logs from the truck, as the limited area became densely filled with people. This triggered panic among the devotees. In the sudden rush that followed, several people were trampled.

Many also alleged lack of adequate police deployment to control the crowd.

Also read: Puri stampede exposes Odisha govt's incompetence: Naveen Patnaik