Andhra Pradesh: 9 killed in stampede at unregistered Srikakulam temple

A stampede at an unregistered private temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, killed nine people, including eight women. The incident occurred after an iron grill collapsed. The temple organisers had not sought permission for the event, police said.

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, along with State Minister Nara Lokesh, on Saturday visited a hospital at Srikakulam to meet the injured after a stampede broke out at Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh, in which nine people were killed. The ministers also interacted with doctors.

Unregistered Shrine, No Prior Permission

The stampede occurred at a privately built, unregistered shrine where the organisers had neither obtained prior permission nor informed the authorities about the event, police officials said on Saturday. According to officials, the tragedy took place after an iron grill collapsed, causing several devotees to fall from a height of about seven feet. At the time, nearly 3,000 to 5,000 people were present at the temple premises for the religious event. Two of the injured are said to be in serious condition.

Police Detail Tragic Events

Srikakulam Superintendent of Police, KV Maheswara Reddy, told ANI that the incident occured within the limits of Kasibugga police station. "A total of nine people have lost their lives -- eight women and one boy. There was a queue; the same queue line was used for entry and exit. The iron grill collapsed, and people fell from around seven feet to the ground, leading to the incident," Reddy said.

He confirmed that the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple was constructed on private land without registration or official oversight. "It's a private temple, where a private person has constructed this on his private land. He hasn't taken any permission and hasn't informed the local Police about today's program...," Reddy said.

He said that the police rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the stampede. "In the morning, when we got the information, we had sent the force, but it was too late by then because there was no prior information from the temple person who was organising this program. As a result, there was no communication yesterday or today. Once we have got the information, we have sent it," he said.

SP Reddy added that the situation is now under control. "The situation is peaceful now. Around 3,000-3,500 people were present here. Only two are in serious condition, while the rest of the injured are stable," he added

President, PM Modi Express Condolences

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu said in a post on X that she was "Shocked to learn about the loss of lives" and expressed her "deepest condolences" to the bereaved families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed condolences and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Several injured devotees were rushed to nearby hospitals, and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)