JAGATSINGHPUR: A woman died and four others were injured when a coconut tree fell on them during a Ram Leela programme at Balrampur village under Kujang police limits on Friday night.
The deceased was Kuni Das (35) of Samagola village under Kujang police limits.
According to sources, as part of the Ram Leela, the actor playing Lord Hanuman was supposed to walk on a rope tied between two coconut trees around 30 feet above the ground. The organisers had tied the rope to a coconut tree and with another tree which was 60 feet away for the act in the evening.
However, one of the trees fell on the crowd, injuring five women. The other members of the audience called the ambulance but it arrived late, prompting the locals to rush them to Kujang community health centre using their bikes.
After the ambulance reached the spot, enraged villagers vandalised it in protest over the delay. The injured were then shifted to the hospital.
However, Kuni was declared dead on arrival and the four others have been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for further treatment.
Villagers blamed the event organisers for negligence, alleging that they tied the rope to an old, insect-infested tree without checking its condition. They also demanded a ban on risky stunts like rope-walking during public performances to ensure safety. Kujang IIC Bansidhar Pradhan said, “An unnatural death case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.”