In the tragic incident of the firecracker explosion in Puri of Odisha, Three persons, including a minor boy have died and 35 have been injured. The tragedy occurred late at night on May 29 (Wednesday) at Narendra pond, where Lord Jagannath and his siblings were performing the Chappa Khela ceremony. The rite was part of Lord Jagannth’s Chandan Yatra, which included his sibling deities Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
According to the latest information, more than 35 persons were injured in this catastrophe. A total of eight people were hurt in the firecracker explosion and are currently being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Three of the seven individuals are said to be critical. Most of those injured are being treated in Cuttack SCB.
According to the information available a few others injured in the incident have been admitted to various private hospitals in the Puri and Bhubaneswar.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed his grief and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. The CM wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle in Odia that roughly translates as, “Sorry to hear about the accident near Puri Narendra pond.”
The CM further said, “The government of Odisha has directed the Chief Secretary and the district administration to ensure proper treatment of the injured and monitor the entire system. All the medical expenses of the injured will be borne from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Wishing everyone good health at the earliest. Praying to Lord Jagannath”.
Puri SP is leading a probe following this horrible occurrence. The District Magistrate and SP have also stated that no approval was granted by the district administration or police for the use of firecrackers. It has been declared that all medical expenditures for the injured will be covered by the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.