By Rajkumar Mohanty
Puri(Odisha), July 4: At least six persons were killed and 50 injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath here on Friday afternoon.

The incident occurred at around 1.15 pm when the barricade near the chariot of Devi Subhadra was broken with devotees jostling to have darshan of the deities.

The dead included, three women. Two of them were sisters from Bhubaneswar. The remaining victims could not be identified immediately.

The authorities, however, claimed that the number of persons injured in the stampede was 20. The condition of many of the injured was stated to be serious.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who was here to witness the Rath Yatra visited the district headquarters hospital where around 15 injured persons had been admitted.

Patnaik announced that an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each would be paid to the next of the kin of the deceased. The government would bear the cost of treatment of the injured persons, Patnaik said.

Patnaik also ordered an administrative inquiry into the incident. The probe would be conducted by Member, Board of Revenue.

The incident, however, did not affect the performance of the rituals connected to the Yatra.

Lakhs of people have converged on the Grand Road, venue of the Yatra. Te pulling of the chariots is scheduled to begin at 4 pm.