Overview
- The woman, identified as Sujata Meher, became stuck inside a tight cave passage near the Saptarshi temple at Bhandarimal in Sambalpur district during Kartik Purnima.
- Fire service teams from the Maneswar and Jujumura stations reached the site and led a multi-hour extraction operation.
- Rescuers cut through banyan tree root structures to create space before freeing her.
- She was taken to hospital and later shifted to VIMSAR, Burla, with doctors reporting injuries to her left waist and chest and describing her condition as stable.
- The incident came as large numbers of devotees visited hill and cave sites for the festival, which can make narrow routes hazardous.