A tragic stampede took place at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of Ekadashi. Nine people, mostly women, lost their lives and several others were injured.
What Led to the Stampede:
State minister Nara Lokesh explained that there was a huge rush of devotees. Around 11:30 am, the temple entry gate was closed because of the crowd. People then tried to enter through the exit gate, which caused heavy suffocation. The entry had steps, and one person on top tripped and fell, which made others fall too, leading to a stampede. Lokesh also said that the queue managers were not ready for such a large crowd.
Government’s Response:
Lokesh said that as soon as the news came, officials and ministers coordinated the rescue operation through their real-time governance WhatsApp group and worked hard to save lives.
Police Statement:
Srikakulam SP KV Maheswara Reddy said that the temple had only one entry and exit point. An iron grill near the steps collapsed, which caused panic among the crowd, leading to the tragedy. Around 15,000 people were present at the temple during the incident.
Opposition Reaction:
Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief and blamed the government for poor crowd management. He said that the administration failed to take precautions even after similar past incidents at temples in Tirupati and Simhachalam.
In short, overcrowding, poor management, and panic caused the Srikakulam temple stampede, resulting in several deaths and injuries.
