On Saturday morning, the stampede at the Venkateswara Swami Temple in Kasibugga, Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, left at least nine devotees dead and several injured.
Thousands of worshippers had congregated at the temple to mark one of the most sacred fasting days of Hinduism, the Ekadashi dedicated to Lord Vishnu, when the incident occurred around 11.30 am, said Kasibugga DSP Lakshman Rao.
Crowd swells beyond control
As per a report by the Times of India, the officials added that the unprecedented congregation of pilgrims soon swamped the temple premises. “Several people collapsed as devotees rushed forward at once,” an official said. Initial reports suggested that both the entry and exit points were the same, which made crowd movement a difficult proposition and added to the chaos.
The report says, many people fell unconscious in the rush, as authorities said. The injured persons were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Police and district officials launched an inquiry into the incident to probe lapses in crowd management and safety arrangements.
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Temple privately managed, no official approval sought
According to the report by the Times of India, officials later confirmed that the temple was privately managed and not registered under the state's endowments department. It also emerged that the event organisers did not seek official permissions and did not inform the authorities about the large-scale gathering. Moreover, the area where devotees had assembled was still under construction, adding to the safety hazards.
Government response and relief measures
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and declared financial aid to the victims. The Office of PM posted on X, “Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. 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 lakhs 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: PM @narendramodi.”
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Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep grief over the loss of lives, terming the incident "extremely heartbreaking." On an X post, CM Naidu wrote, “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. I have requested the local officials and public representatives to visit the site of the incident and oversee the relief measures.”
The Times of India also reported that the State Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu visited the site soon after the incident to review the situation and coordinate the relief measures. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area as the authorities are working to restore order and identify the victims. Officials have assured that a detailed investigation will be conducted to fix accountability and avoid such incidents in the future.
