Sambalpur: A woman had a close shave with death after being trapped for nearly six hours inside a narrow cave passage near the Saptarshi temple at Bhandarimal village under Jujumura block of Sambalpur district on the occasion of Kartika Purnima Wednesday.
The woman, identified as Sujata Meher, 32, wife of Manoj Meher of Meghpal village, reportedly entered a small cave near the temple around 9 am for a ritual prayer.
However, she got stuck inside a narrow section of the cave and could not move further. Police and fire service personnel were immediately informed and began a rescue operation. After six hours of strenuous efforts, the fire brigade team successfully rescued her.
She was first rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Sambalpur in critical condition and later shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, for advanced treatment.
Doctors said Sujata suffered injuries on her left waist and chest, but is now stable. According to locals, it is widely believed that crawling through the cave near the temple fulfils one’s wishes. Sujata reportedly attempted the same ritual but got stuck midway. Fire personnel had to cut through a nearby banyan tree root structure to bring her out safely.
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