Jostling among hundreds of devotees for tickets to a religious event in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is suspected to have caused the stampede that claimed at least six lives on Wednesday evening.
The incident took place when a large number of devotees, who turned up from across the country, gathered for tickets for the annual Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, an official from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) told HT. The 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam (darshan of the deity from the northern entrance of the temple) commences from January 10.
Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu condoled the incident, saying it “deeply disturbed” him.
“The death of several devotees in a stampede near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for tokens to visit Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara has shocked me. This tragic incident, which took place at a time when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens, deeply disturbed me,” Chandrababu Naidu wrote in a post in Telugu on X.
In the wake of information that the condition of some of them is critical, I have directed higher officials to go to the spot and take relief measures… to provide better medical treatment to the injured and save their lives. I am talking to the district and TTD officials from time to time and am taking stock of the situation,” the CM added.
Tirupati stampede: What happened?
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees temple operations, had set up special counters to distribute darshan tokens for the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival on January 9, The Indian Express reported.
These tokens, allowing devotees to visit Lord Venkateswara, were being handed out at MGM High School in Bairagipatteda, near the Vishnu Nivasam temple in Tirupati.
Thousands of devotees began lining up at the counters from Wednesday morning, and by evening, the crowd had become unruly with pushing and jostling.
According to BR Naidu, chairman of TTD, the stampede occurred when a gate was opened to assist a woman feeling unwell, but the crowd surged forward all at once, leading to chaos, the report claimed.
Terming the stampede as unfortunate, TTD board member Bhanu Prakash sought the forgiveness of Srivari (Lord Venkateswara Swamy) devotees over the incident, news agency PTI reported.
There was some lacuna and stringent action will be taken but lost lives cannot be brought back, he said.
Videos of police personnel administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on a couple of woman devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances went viral.
PM Modi expresses grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the death of the devotees in the stampede. Modi said the state government was providing all possible assistance to the victims of the incident.
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister’s Office wrote, “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The AP Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi.”
Union home minister Amit Shah also expressed his shock and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Tirupati stampede.
Shah also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
“Pained by the unfortunate incident of the stampede in the Tirupati temple. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. May the injured recover at the earliest. I am deeply shocked by the stampede incident at the Tirupati Vishnu Niwasam ticket counter. I pray for the souls of the devotees who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident to rest in peace. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Amit Shah posted on X.