Source: Aljazeera
DST News: At least nine people, including eight women and a child, were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibuga, Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday.
Officials said the tragedy occurred when thousands of devotees gathered for a religious ceremony, far exceeding the temple’s capacity. Local media reported that nearly 25,000 worshippers were present when a railing gave way under heavy pressure, causing panic and chaos as people tried to reach the upper floor of the temple complex.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan confirmed the death toll and announced that an inquiry has been launched into the incident. Authorities also revealed that the temple is privately managed and had not obtained official permissions or informed the local administration about the event.
“The temple management failed to seek approval or coordinate with authorities for crowd control,” one district official said, adding that disciplinary actions will follow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the tragedy and announced ex gratia payments of 200,000 rupees (about USD 2,260) to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees (USD 565) to those injured.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, addressing a political rally, vowed strict action against those responsible for the deadly stampede.
The incident adds to a growing number of deadly crowd disasters in India this year, including stampedes at religious gatherings and public events. In September, 39 people were killed in a crush at a political rally in Tamil Nadu, while another in June claimed 11 lives outside a cricket stadium in Karnataka.
