Srikakulam temple tragedy: 9 Killed, several injured in stampede at Kasi Bugga Venkateswara Swamy temple
Srikakulam (The Uttam Hindu): A tragic accident occurred on Saturday in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. A huge crowd of devotees had gathered at the Kasi Bugga Venkateswara Swamy temple on the auspicious occasion of Ekadashi in the month of Kartika to pay obeisance. At least nine devotees were crushed to death in a stampede, while several others were seriously injured. Officials fear the death toll may rise, as many of the injured remain in critical condition.
According to initial reports, the accident occurred when the crowd near the temple complex's entrance suddenly increased. Thousands of devotees had been present at the temple since early morning due to Ekadashi. The sudden jostling caused panic and a stampede. During this, many people fell down, and the crowd trampled them.
Eyewitnesses say that the crowd in the temple had increased significantly since morning and there was not enough security arrangement compared to the number of devotees, due to which the situation went out of control.
Upon receiving information, district administration and police teams arrived at the scene and immediately began relief and rescue operations. The injured were admitted to nearby government hospitals, where they are receiving treatment. The district administration is closely monitoring the situation and additional police forces have been deployed at the temple complex to control the situation. The local administration has ordered an investigation into the incident and is trying to determine where the crowd control failure occurred.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He said, "The stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Temple in Srikakulam district is extremely tragic. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I have directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured and have asked local officials and public representatives to visit the site and monitor relief efforts."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Nara Lokesh expressed grief over the accident, saying, "This is a major tragedy that occurred on Ekadashi. Our government is providing the best medical treatment to the injured. As soon as I received the information, I spoke with officials, District Minister Atchannaidu, and local MLA Gouthu Sirisha and ordered immediate assistance for the victims."