Tirupati stampede: Four devotees dead, TTD overhauls crowd management plans after chaos

A tragic stampede in Tirupati has left four devotees dead and several others injured. The incident occurred during token distribution for Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam at the Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple. The stampede, caused by overcrowding at Srinivasam, Vishnu Nivasam, and Satyanarayanapuram Bairagipatta Ramanayudu School, resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to six others. Police and fellow devotees attempted CPR to revive those who had collapsed.

The incident took place during the token distribution process at Vishnu Nivasam. One of the deceased has been identified as Mallika, a resident of Salem, Tamil Nadu. In an effort to manage the large crowd, TTD had set up 94 counters across nine centres for the distribution of Vaikuntha Ekadashi tokens. However, the overwhelming number of devotees led to overcrowding, triggering the tragic stampede.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed his shock and grief over the loss of lives. He spoke with officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured and is closely monitoring the situation. The CM has instructed authorities to provide the best possible medical care to those affected by the incident.

TTD had previously announced token distribution at eight locations over three days to handle the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam rush. Despite the presence of both TTD and police personnel, the crowd grew too large to manage, leading to chaos. This incident has raised concerns about the adequacy of security measures in place.

Each year, lakhs of devotees visit Tirupati for the Vaikuntha Ekadashi celebrations. Following this tragedy, TTD clarified that only valid token holders would be allowed for darshan and announced stricter crowd management measures. The authorities have also reassessed their plans, set up additional token counters, and promised to improve crowd control efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.