Devotees banned from Srikakulam temple in Andhra following tragic stampede

Srikakulam: The Andhra Pradesh police have barred devotees from entering the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district following a tragic stampede that left nine people dead during a religious gathering on Saturday.

Eight women and a boy were killed, while several others sustained injuries, including fractures and breathing difficulties. Two seriously injured individuals are now reported to be stable, and the rest have been discharged from hospital. The deceased were sent for post-mortem before being handed to their families.

Survivors said that a single gate had been closed, and a group of devotees who were allowed entry for darshan earlier fell along with a broken grill onto a large number of people waiting below the staircase, causing the fatal crush.

“We have barred devotees from entering the temple in view of the tragedy,” Srikakulam district superintendent of police KV Maheshwara Reddy told PTI.

He added that the temple organisers had neither sought the mandatory permissions nor requested police protection before holding the event.

“It is mandatory for temples or religious institutions to inform police in advance for crowd management, irrespective of the turnout,” the SP said.

The Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple is a private establishment operating without proper approvals, according to officials, and organisers reportedly failed to comply with safety protocols. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).