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At least 10 devotees, mostly women and children, were killed in a tragic stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, during Ekadashi celebrations on Saturday, November 1.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who died, and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
“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,” the Prime Minister said, as per a post by the PMO on social media.
Disturbing visuals from the temple premises showed bodies lying on the ground as locals and rescue teams rushed to assist the injured. Earlier videos from the site showed heavy overcrowding, with hundreds of women carrying puja baskets struggling to move on a staircase amid chaos and panic.
According to media reports, the Venkateswara Swamy Temple, also referred to locally as ‘Mini Tirupati’, is a privately built shrine that was inaugurated just four months ago. The temple, which is not managed by the Endowments Department, reportedly held the large-scale gathering without prior approval from the authorities.
Government officials said that the section of the premises where devotees had gathered was still under construction, and that the temple had only a single entry and exit point. The situation turned chaotic when the steel railings collapsed under pressure from the surging crowd.
According to Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, the temple was constructed by a private individual, Hari Mukunda Panda, on 12 acres of his land and could safely accommodate only around 2,000 to 3,000 people. However, an estimated 25,000 devotees had turned up for the Ekadashi celebrations. “Arrangements were not made accordingly, nor was the government informed in advance,” Anam said in a video statement on X, attributing the tragedy to poor planning by the temple organisers.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said a detailed inquiry would be conducted into the incident to determine accountability
Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the incident “deeply saddening,” expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice (Retd) S Abdul Nazeer also conveyed his anguish and directed district authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu described the tragedy as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The loss of devotees’ lives in this incident is extremely tragic. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families.” The Chief Minister said he had instructed officials to ensure prompt medical care and directed local authorities and public representatives to personally monitor rescue and relief efforts.
State Minister and TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh also expressed shock over the incident, calling it “deeply tragic,” and said he had spoken to officials and local representatives to expedite assistance to the victims.
With inputs from IANS