On 2nd November, at least nine devotees lost their lives and several others were injured in a stampede at Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga, Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district. The incident occurred when thousands gathered at the privately-run temple to mark Ekadashi. The overcrowding led to the collapse of a railing, leading to the incident. Authorities later said the incident could have been prevented if the temple management had coordinated with officials about the expected surge in the number of devotees visiting the temple.
What led to the Andhra temple tragedy
According to the official statement released by the state government, the stampede happened when a large crowd surged forward as the temple gates opened. The situation triggered panic among devotees. Around 15,000 devotees were present at the time. The government said that a railing collapsed under the pressure of the crowd, worsening the situation as both entry and exit were managed through the same narrow route.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said devotees visited the temple in unexpectedly large numbers on Ekasadhi leading to the incident. She added that there was lack of adequate arrangements in the private tmeple to manage the crowd of devotees.
Srikakulam SP KV Maheswara Reddy added that the tragedy occurred because the temple had only one entry and exit point. “The collapse was from a height of about six feet, causing one person to fall on another,” he said.
Overwhelming turnout ended in stampede
The state government’s fact-check wing later shared a post by minister for endowments Anam Ramanarayana clarifying that the temple was privately managed and not under the Endowments Department. The post said that while the temple could accommodate only 2,000–3,000 people, nearly 25,000 devotees arrived without prior coordination with authorities.
CM Naidu orders relief measures
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident and directed officials to provide medical assistance and oversee relief operations. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended condolences to the families of the victims.
An FIR has been filed in the incident against the 80-year-old temple owner. Further investigation is underway.
