One killed as stones fall in Puri temple

One person was killed when three huge stones fell from the inner fortified wall of the famous Lord Jagannath temple in Puri on Thursday.

The stones tumbled down the inner wall, known as Kuruma Bedha, and one of them hit a youth selling mahaprasad at the Ananda Bazaar inside the temple. The youth succumbed to the injuries at a local hospital.

The state government has asked the Archeological Survey of India to submit a report on the structural stability of the temple's inner fortified wall. Senior ASI officials were not available for comment.

The temple was built during the 12th century, while the inner fortified wall was constructed during the 15th century.

The temple is a centrally protected monument. The ASI had taken up the repair and maintenance work of the temple in 1975 after an expert committee suggested urgent conservation measures.

UNI