New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- At least nine people, including eight women and a 12-year-old boy, were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district on Saturday. The tragedy struck when a railing collapsed at the private temple, triggering panic among hundreds of devotees gathered for darshan.
According to Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, the temple, located on an elevated structure in Kasibugga town, typically attracts between 1,500 and 2,000 devotees every Saturday. "This being Ekadasi during the auspicious Karthika Masam, the turnout was much larger than usual," she said. The minister added that as devotees climbed the narrow approach to the temple, the railing gave way, causing people to fall on one another.
A survivor from Dharmapuram village recounted that the temple had only a single entry and exit point, creating a severe bottleneck. "There was no space to move. People were stuck on both sides, and when the railing broke, everyone fell over," he said.
Most of the victims were women aged between 35 and 40. Several others were taken to the government hospital in Palasa, where doctors treated around 30 people for fractures and breathing difficulties. "Many were brought in with broken limbs and signs of suffocation. They were given first aid and kept under observation," said a doctor at the hospital.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, expressing deep sorrow, announced a full-fledged inquiry into the incident. Speaking at a public event in Sri Sathya Sai district, Naidu said, "An individual constructed the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga. Many devotees came for darshan on the occasion of Karthika Masam. The organisers did not inform the police in advance. Had they done so, crowd control arrangements could have been made." He alleged that the tragedy was the result of a lack of order and discipline. Naidu further directed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured and instructed local authorities and party leaders to oversee relief efforts at the site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs.50,000 to those injured. "Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed shock, saying he was "deeply pained" by the tragedy and extended condolences to the victims' families.
Srikakulam Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheshwara Reddy said the incident occurred because the temple management failed to inform authorities about the gathering. "It is mandatory for temples or religious institutions to take permission from the police before organising any event, irrespective of the number of people. Under the Public Safety Act, even if 200 devotees are expected, organisers should inform us so that we can assess and provide security arrangements," he said.
The SP explained that the accident was caused when a steel railing near the steps broke, leading people to believe that the structure was collapsing. "The public panicked and fell from a height of about six feet. As one person fell over another, it caused the stampede," he said. Reddy described the incident as "purely accidental" but added that negligence by the temple owner played a key role.
Police officials said that the temple's owner, 95-year-old Mukunda Panda, had constructed the shrine without obtaining the necessary permissions. "He built and opened the temple on his own," the SP said, adding that cases were being registered under culpable homicide charges.
Panda, speaking to reporters, said he was shocked by the tragedy. "I did not expect so many people to turn up. Never before have we seen such large crowds here," he said.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the railing gave way. "As people jostled, the steel grill broke. Those who were holding on to it fell down with others on top of them. The boy who died was trapped under the grill," said one devotee, an autorickshaw driver who came with a group of twenty people for the darshan.
Police have cordoned off the area as investigations continue. Officials from the district administration and the Disaster Response and Fire Services Department have been deployed to assist in relief operations.
The Andhra Pradesh government has promised swift action against those responsible for the negligence and assured that all possible assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased and the injured.
The temple, which is not under the Endowments Department, remains closed as authorities conduct inquiries into safety lapses and crowd management failures that led to the deadly stampede.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.