A joyful celebration turned into a heartbreaking tragedy on Friday night at Balarampur village under Kujang police limits in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district. During a Ram Leela performance, a coconut tree unexpectedly toppled onto the crowd, killing one woman and injuring five others, including a young girl.
Details of the Incident
The deceased has been identified as Kuni Das, a 34-year-old woman from Samagol village in the Kujang area. She was attending the event with others when the freak accident occurred. Among the injured are:
- Madhusmita Behera (22 years old)
- Priyanka Sahoo (9 years old)
- Lilly Sahoo (18 years old)
- Two others whose names have not been disclosed yet.
The injured individuals are from Balarampur village itself and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
What Happened?
Every year, the Ram Leela — a traditional dramatic re-enactment of the Hindu epic Ramayana — is organized at Maa Basulei Peeth during the Chaitra festival. This year’s play began on April 23 and was scheduled to conclude on April 28.
On the night of the accident — the third night of the performances — a large coconut tree located near the stage fell suddenly onto the audience area, killing Kuni Das on the spot and injuring others nearby.
Eyewitnesses mentioned that an actor playing the character of Hanuman was using a tractor to help tie one coconut tree to another with a rope as part of his act. Unfortunately, during this setup, a tree fell unexpectedly into the crowd.
Local sources added that there was a mild breeze at the time, but no strong winds. Former Panchayat Samiti President Smriti Ranjan Behera suggested that the tree’s collapse might have been caused by weakened roots, possibly due to insect damage, rather than weather conditions.
Aftermath and Investigation
As soon as the incident was reported, police officers from Kujang rushed to the spot and began an investigation. The Ram Leela performance was immediately halted as a mark of respect to the deceased and to ensure safety for everyone present.
Authorities are now looking into whether negligence in securing the trees or mismanagement during the event contributed to the tragedy.
