9 Dead in Tragic Stampede at Andhra Pradesh's Sri Venkateswara Temple During Ekadashi Celebrations

Hyderabad:

Videos from Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam captured harrowing scenes of women trapped in a narrow space between handrails, holding puja baskets, struggling for air and desperately calling for help. This tragic stampede claimed nine lives during Ekadashi, a day considered sacred by Hindus, when large crowds had gathered at the temple.

Distressing footage shows women struggling against each other and attempting to climb over rails to escape the crush. Cries for help can be heard as some men try to pull victims to safety. Some videos depict relatives performing CPR on victims and frantically rubbing their palms in desperate attempts to revive them. The footage indicates that women constitute the majority of casualties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident through his office. "My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," the PMO stated.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock at the tragedy, describing the deaths as "heartbreaking." He stated, "The stampede incident at the Venkateswara Temple in Kashibugga in Srikakulam district has caused a shock. The death of devotees in this tragic incident is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to those who have been injured." The Chief Minister has directed local officials and representatives to oversee relief operations at the site.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan called the stampede "deeply distressing" and announced an investigation into the incident, which occurred at a privately managed temple. He urged Endowments Department officials to implement proper queue management systems to ensure the safety and comfort of women, children, and elderly visitors during Karthika Masam, when large crowds typically visit temples across the state.

Governor S Abdul Nazeer expressed anguish over the deaths and offered condolences to bereaved families. The Raj Bhavan reported that he had instructed district administration to provide optimal medical care to injured pilgrims.

Government sources revealed that temple authorities had not informed local administration about the expected crowd surge on Ekadashi. Additionally, the area where pilgrims gathered was under construction. The Srikakulam temple is privately operated and not under the state government's endowments department's supervision.

Nara Lokesh, Andhra minister and the Chief Minister's son, announced he was traveling to the temple site. He stated, "The stampede at the Kasibugga Venkateswara Temple, which resulted in the death of several devotees, is deeply shocking. It was a great tragedy on the day of Ekadashi. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our government is providing the best medical treatment to those injured in the stampede."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed being "deeply saddened" by the tragic loss of lives and extended condolences to families of victims, wishing a swift recovery for the injured.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, opposition leader of YSR Congress Party, expressed profound shock and grief over the tragedy. He noted that similar incidents had previously occurred at Tirupati and Simhachalam temples, criticizing that "Despite repeated tragedies, the government has failed to take proper precautions and has acted with utter negligence. This repeated loss of innocent lives reflects the inefficiency of Chandrababu Naidu's administration." He urged the state government to implement corrective measures to prevent future incidents.