The death toll of Kumarghat’s‘ Ulta Rath Yatra’ tragedy has reached 8 on Thursday  with the death of another critical patient identified as Ruma Ghosh who was admitted to GBP hospital after she was referred from Kumarghat on Wednesday evening in critical condition.

Sources said that altogether six critically injured persons were admitted to GB Hospital and among them, Ruma Ghosh succumbed due to critical injuries on Thursday afternoon.  The death of Ruma Ghosh has raised the death toll from 7 to 8 with five more patients fighting for life.

Earlier, on Wednesday six persons were killed at the spot and one on way to GB Hospital was died and  16 more injured when the chariot of ‘return Rath Yatra’ ISKCON temple struck with 33 KV high tension electric wire in the middle of national highway-8 in Kumarghat area of Unakoti district on Wednesday afternoon.

When the ‘return Rath’  with Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Shubhadra started its journey and reached Kumarghat town hall area via SDM office, the iron made chariot with heavily decorated came into contact with an overhead electric wire, which  caused a surge of electricity and killing seven people and injured 16 more due to electrocution.

Wednesday’s seven dead persons were identified as Sima Paul (33) of Shibtali,  Sushmita Baishya (30) of Shib Mandir area, Rupak Das (40) , Soma Biswas (28),  Rohan Das (9) ,Shan Malakar (9) and  Diya Ghosh (9), daughter of Goutam Ghosh, all were residents of Kumarghat.

Among the injured 16 persons, after the conditions of six persons deteriorated were referred to GB Hospital and  nine more critically injured persons were admitted to  Kailashahar district hospital and treatment of remaining injured devotees are presently going on at the hospitals of Kumarghat and Fatikroy.