At least six people died and several others were injured after a stampede broke out near the Tirupati temple on Wednesday evening. Overcrowding and unregulated token distribution were being discussed as the reasons for the deadly Tirupati stampede.
The incident was reported near Vishnu Niwasam near the Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara ticketing counter, during the distribution of 'darshan' tokens. The incident was reported at 8 pm when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials started distributing tokens at various centres, including Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam and Padmavati Park. The situation went out of control when overcrowding escalated as gates were opened to help one unwell devotee out of the queue.
Soon after the gates were opened, devotees who were waiting in line since morning, surged forward in large numbers, triggering severe congestion. Severe lack in effective crowd management resulted in stampedes at two locations.
It should be noted that the TTD announced the distribution of 1.2 lakh tokens for Vaikunthadwara darshan scheduled on January 10 (Ekadasi) and the tokens were to be distributed at nine centres via 94 counters, but the sudden surge overwhelmed the whole process.
Overcrowding led to stampede, says TTD
In the meantime, Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) said that stampede that claimed six lives at Tirupati was caused by "overcrowding".
TTD Chairman BR Naidu was speaking to reporters after visiting the Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati, where he met the injured and reviewed their condition with doctors.
TTD calls stampede ‘unfortunate’
Calling the incident "unfortunate," BR Naidu stated that a detailed report would released soon and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu would provide further information about the incident.
BR Naidu said, "The reason (for the stampede) is overcrowding...it is an unfortunate incident...tomorrow CM will tell everything, today the complete report will come. A total of 6 people have died, some are from Tamil Nadu and some are from Andhra Pradesh. As of now, one body has been identified and 5 are yet to be identified..."
Meanwhile, TTD Board member Bhanu Prakash Reddy expressed his apologies for the incident and stated that the trust would conduct an inquiry in this regard and take appropriate action.
Reddy also informed that CM Naidu and the state Health Minister would visit Tirupati on Thursday morning.Speaking to reporters, TTD Board Member Bhanu Prakash Reddy said that around 40 individuals were injured in the stampede and are receiving treatment in the hospital.
Chandrababu Naidu closely monitors situation
As per the statement from the office of TTD Chairman BR Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is closely monitoring the incident and will meet the families of the victims of the stampede on Thursday.
The statement reads, "It is an unfortunate event, 6 pilgrims lost their lives. So far, only one pilgrim has been identified, while the others are yet to be identified. N Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is very serious about the incident and has expressed dissatisfaction with the officials' management during a teleconference. The Chief Minister will visit the families of the deceased tomorrow at 11:45 am. CM has warned that such incidents should not be repeated and is closely monitoring updates on the issue.”
