Odisha: 1 Dead, 3 Critical in Firecracker Explosion During 'Chandan Jatra' Festival in Puri

The police said the incident took place on the banks of a waterbody where hundreds had gathered to witness the 'chapa khela' rituals of Hindu deity Jagannath and his sibling deities

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The firecracker explosion took place on the banks of Narendra Pushkarinee, in Puri, late on May 29. (Image: News18/Video grab)

A Puri resident succumbed to burn injuries while three others are critical and more than 30 injured after a firecracker explosion during ‘Chandan Jatra’ festivities in Puri late on Wednesday (May 29). The man, identified as Rishikesh Karmakar, died at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and his body will be handed over to his family after a post-mortem.

According to the police, the incident took place on the banks of Narendra Pushkarinee where hundreds had gathered to witness the chapa khela rituals of Hindu deity Jagannath and his sibling deities. A group of devotees were celebrating the festival with crackers, they said.

Suddenly, the police said, a splinter from the burning crackers struck the heap, leading to the explosion, they said. The burning crackers then hit the people gathered at the spot, and some of them, even jumped into the waterbody to save themselves, they added.

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Out of all the injured, eight have been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. Others have been admitted to private hospitals in Puri and Bhubaneswar. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed directed the chief secretary and Puri district administration to arrange for proper treatment of the injured and said all expenses will be met from the chief minister’s relief fund.

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Location :
Puri, India

First Published:
May 30, 2024, 10:30 IST