Srikakulam: At least nine people were reportedly killed on Saturday in a tragic stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Palasa Mandal of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.
The incident took place when devotees fell from a six-foot-high wall while trying to escape the crowd after an iron railing inside the temple was damaged. The dead bodies have been shifted to the government hospital in Kasibugga for post-mortem and their identities are being established.
1) Temple Owner Booked: A case has reportedly been filed against the 80-year-old temple owner, Hari Mukunda Panda, under various sections related to culpable homicide, for alleged negligence that led to the deaths of the devotees.
2) President Droupadi Murmu & LoP Rahul Gandhi Condoles Loss Of Lives: President Droupadi Murmu condoled the loss of lives in the stampede."Shocked to learn about the loss of lives in a tragic incident at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for quick recovery of those injured," she said on X.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed his condolences on X.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My heart goes out to the bereaved families and all those injured. I hope they find strength and recover soon," he said.
"I urge the Government of Andhra Pradesh to mobilise every resource for relief and to engage with the victims’ families with empathy, dignity, and speed. I also appeal to our Congress leaders and workers in the region to assist in relief work, and support the grieving," he added.
3) PMO Announces Rs 2 lakh Ex-gratia For Kin Of Deceased: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the victims.
4) Temple Not Registered With State Government:
According to reports, the temple was opened for devotees just four months ago. The Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga is a private temple, not registered under the endowments department, reported ANI, quoting officials.
5) Permission Not Sought From Authorities:
The media house further reported that the organisation that managed the temple did not inform authorities about a huge gathering of devotees on the occasion of Ekadashi.
6) Construction Work Still Pending:
The holy shrine is built on the lines of Tirumala Triputi Temple and is known as “Chinna Tirupati" or “Little Tirupati." At the place where the stampede took place, the construction work was still underway.
7) Around 25,000 Devotees Thronged The Temple:
On Ekadashi, around 25,000 devotees gathered at the temple premises to offer prayers. However, due to the presence of a large number of people, the rallies installed to manage the crowd got uprooted, causing people to fall.
8) Same Exit And Entry Points:
Another reason for the stampede was that the temple reportedly had the same entry and exit point. As the railing fell, people rushed towards the exit gate in panic, making the situation even worse.
9) CM Chandrababu Naidu Observes Moment Of Silence For Victims: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect for the victims who lost their lives in the Srikakulam stampede incident at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
10) Andhra Agriculture Minister Visits Incident Site: : Agriculture minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu reached the incident site to oversee the relief efforts.
