A tragic stampede at a Hindu temple in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and injured dozens more. The incident occurred early on a Saturday morning at the Swamy Venkateswara Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, where an estimated 25,000 devotees had gathered to observe the auspicious Hindu festival of Ekadashi.
The overwhelming crowd exceeded the temple’s capacity, which is designed to accommodate roughly 2,000 people, leading to severe overcrowding. The stampede was triggered when a metal railing intended to control the flow of pilgrims collapsed under the pressure of the devotees trying to climb to the temple’s first floor. This created chaos as people surged and fell, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Among the victims were eight women and one child, with several others critically injured and rushed to nearby hospitals. The temple is privately managed and had not secured necessary official approvals or safety measures, contributing to the lack of crowd control during the large influx of worshippers.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the tragedy, and state officials, including Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, expressed deep sorrow over the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased and announced compensation for victims and the injured.
This unfortunate event adds to a series of deadly stampedes that have occurred at religious gatherings in India throughout the year, underscoring the pressing need for improved crowd management and safety protocols at such popular sites.
