Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 1: At least nine people, including eight women and a child, were killed and scores of others injured, many of them critically, in a stampede at the newly-constructed Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, also known as “Mini Tirupati,” in Kashibugga in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh following heavy rush early in the morning to pay their obeisance on the occasion of “Ekadashi,” an auspicious day for Hindus, on Saturday.
Horrific videos from the temple showed massive overcrowding, with hundreds of women holding puja baskets jostling on a staircase in a frantic attempt to save themselves. Several bodies were later seen strewn across the temple premises. Many rushed to help the injured, while some tried to pull out others gasping for breath in the crowd. Some women who had collapsed were shifted to ambulances, and medical workers tried to resuscitate them.
The police said a case has been booked against the owner of the temple Harimukunda Panda for culpable homicide for negligence leading to the death of nine people.
Official sources said the privately-managed temple, opened for public only four months ago, had the capacity to hold about 3,000 people but on the occasion of “Ekadashi” more than 25,000 people had gathered at the temple which led to suffocation triggered by collapse of a railing which could not stand the pressure of over-crowding.
The police later rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The Kasibugga temple is not under the state government’s endowments department that manages thousands of temples in the state. The temple authorities had not informed the local administration that such a huge rush was expected on “Ekadashi,” said government sources. Construction work was underway in the area where the stampede occurred. It had just one common entry and exit point which contributed to the stampede like situation.
The President Droupadi Murmu condoled the loss of lives in the stampede and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured. “Shocked to learn about the loss of lives in a tragic incident at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for quick recovery of those injured,” Ms Murmu said in a post on X.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained by the stampede deaths and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the victims’ families. The injured will be given Rs 50,000. “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 lakh 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,” he said.
The Governor S Abdul Nazeer also expressed anguish and directed the district administration to provide better care to the injured. The Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and described the deaths as “heart-breaking.” “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,” said Naidu.
Mr Naidu has pinned the blame on the temple authorities and said the tragedy could have been averted if the police were aware of the gathering. He said if the police had been informed in advance, they could have put a crowd management plan in place. “Due to planning, we were able to avoid more loss of life in the cyclone. Sadly, so many people died in the stampede. Those responsible for this incident will be dealt with seriously and taken into custody,” he said.
Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, the Endowments Minister of Andhra Pradesh, said the temple where the tragedy occurred is not managed by the state government. “The capacity of this temple is only up to 2,000 to 3,000 people. Today, being Ekadashi, up to 25,000 people arrived all at once. Arrangements were not made accordingly, nor was information provided to the government. This is the reason for the accident,” he said in a video posted on X by Andhra Pradesh government’s fact-check department.
Eyewitnesses recount the horrifying scenes during the tragic stampede. One of the eyewitnesses, Ginni Swathi from Cherukupalli village of Nandigama mandal, described how she narrowly escaped the mishap. She said if she had remained in the queue line for just a few more minutes, the outcome could have been worse.
Ms Swathi explained that she and a group of around 25 people from her village had entered the queue line at approximately 9:30 a.m. It took them more than two-and-a-half hours to complete their darshan due to the huge rush of devotees.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives in the stampede and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives. Praying that the injured may recover at the earliest,” Mr Shah wrote on ‘X’.
The Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was “deeply distressed” over the incident. “The government has instructed district authorities to carry out immediate relief operations and will extend full support to the affected families. An inquiry will be conducted into this tragic incident, which took place at a temple managed by private authorities,” he said in a statement.
Pointing out that major temples across the state witness a heavy rush during the Karthik month of the Hindu calendar, he urged the endowments department officials to ensure proper queue management. “Adequate safety and security arrangements must be made within temple premises. When large crowds are expected, police deployment and medical camps should be organized to ensure devotees’ safety,” his statement read.
According to sources in the Andhra Pradesh government, an 80-year-old man, Harimukunda Panda, built the temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara on his land. The temple, which opened to devotees just four months back, is modelled on the grand Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala and is called “Chinna Tirupati” meaning ‘Mini Tirupati’. There is a common entry and exit point, and handrails flank the narrow passage. This is where tragedy struck when hundreds of devotees flocked to the temple for the Ekadashi puja. A free bus trip was also arranged to bring women devotees to the temple, adding to the crowd, reports said.
Sources in the government said the temple management did not inform the local administration about the expected Ekadashi rush. So there was hardly any crowd management plan in place as hundreds of devotees flocked to ‘Mini Tirupati’ to offer their prayers.
YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy attacked the Naidu government over negligence and accused it of failing to take proper precautions despite similar tragedies in the past. “This repeated loss of innocent lives reflects the inefficiency of Chandrababu Naidu’s administration,” the former chief minister said.
The police official said the incident occurred due to the collapse of an iron grill near the steps. The public, in fear, thought that something was falling and panicked. “The police also registered a case of culpable homicide against the temple owner Harimukunda Panda, under various sections for the negligence that caused the death of the devotees,” said Srikakulam Superintendent of Police (SP) K.V. Maheswara Reddy.
The Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the stampede and urged the state government to mobilise resources to provide relief to the victims and their families. “Deeply pained by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.” “My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, and our thoughts are with the injured,” Mr Kharge said in a post on X.
In a post on X, Mr Gandhi said he was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives. “My heart goes out to the bereaved families and all those injured. I hope they find strength and recover soon,” he said. “I urge the Government of Andhra Pradesh to mobilise every resource for relief and to engage with the victims’ families with empathy, dignity, and speed,” he also said.
