Tirupati stampede: Chandrababu Naidu to visit Tirupati today, reviews situation with top officials
At least six devotees, including three women died and several more were injured in a stampede on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala Hills.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday reviewed the stampede situation with DGP, TTD EO, District Collector, SP. Condoling the deaths, CM Naidu said the loss of lives of devotees who came for the darshan is deeply saddening.
Coming down heavily, CM Naidu questioned why they could not make arrangements accordingly when it was known that devotees would come in large numbers. CM Naidu ordered officials to ensure better treatment for victims to prevent an increase in the death toll, the CMO added.
TTD chairman BR Naidu said, "CM Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference and expressed displeasure over the incident. Some lacking from administration suspected. One DSP opens the gate leading to overcrowding. Six person has died in the incident. CM will visit Tirupati tomorrow. He has instructed all to take measures so that no such incident takes place in future. CM will announce exgratia and he is monitoring the situation. He is very serious about the incident."
At least six devotees, including three women died and several more were injured in a stampede on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala Hills, a police official said. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing on January 10.
Meanwhile, videos of police administering CPR on a couple of woman devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances went viral.
To cater to the huge influx of pilgrims, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) had announced token distribution at eight locations over three days (January 10-12). Despite the presence of TTD patrol staff and local police, the large number of people involved made crowd control difficult, raising concerns about the adequacy of security measures.