Stampede at Kashibugga Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh; at least 10 killed

Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh: In a shocking incident, a stampede at the Venkateswara Temple in Kashibugga, Srikakulam district, has resulted in multiple fatalities and left several others injured on Saturday.

"Total 10 deaths. Seven on the spot and three while undergoing treatment," Srikakulam District Collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar told PTI.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha noted that at least five people were injured. She said at least seven of the dead are in the age group of 35-40.

According to her, the temple is located at an elevation on the first floor, and when the devotees were climbing, the railing broke off, resulting in the people standing at a corner falling off and others dropping on them.

Observing that Kasibugga Venkateswara temple is a private one and not under the Endowments Department, Anitha said it is common to see 1,500 to 2,000 devotees turn up here every Saturday.

Further, she noted that the auspicious occasion of Ekadasi coinciding with 'Karthika Masam' on a Saturday aggravated the tragedy as multitudes thronged the temple.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, reacting to the Srikakulam temple stampede, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.

Taking to social media, he said, "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."

The Chief Minister said he has directed officials to ensure immediate medical assistance to the injured. "I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to those who have been injured. I have requested the local officials and public representatives to visit the site of the incident and oversee the relief measures," he added.

Local authorities and emergency teams have reached the spot and rescue operations are underway. The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed. The Andhra Pradesh temple stampede happened barely weeks after the deadly Karur stampede incident in Tamil Nadu.

State Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary Nara Lokesh also expressed his sorrow over the incident.

In a post on X, he wrote: "The stampede at the Kasibugga Venkateswara Temple, which resulted in the death of several devotees, is deeply shocking. There was a great tragedy on the day of Ekadashi. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who died. The government is providing better medical treatment to those injured in the stampede. As soon as I received the information, I spoke to the authorities, the district minister Atchannaidu and the local MLA Gauthu Sirisha. I have ordered immediate assistance to the victims."