Srikakulam stampede: Police bar entry into Kasibugga temple after 9 deaths

A day after nine people were crushed to death during a religious gathering at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, the Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday (November 2) barred devotees from entering the shrine.

Nine people—eight women and a boy—were killed and several injured at the temple on Saturday when a huge crowd gathered on the occasion of Ekadashi. Several people were hospitalised with limb fractures and breathlessness.

What led to accident?

According to the survivors, the lone gate was closed, and a group of devotees who were earlier allowed into the temple for darshan (glimpse of the deity) suddenly fell from the stairs on top of a large number of people waiting below it as a grill broke.

Also read: Srikakulam temple stampede: What triggered the tragedy?

“We have barred devotees from entering the temple in view of the tragedy,” Srikakulam district superintendent of police, KV Maheshwara Reddy, told news agency PTI.

Nine bodies were sent for autopsy and later handed over to their families, he said, adding that two persons who suffered serious injuries are now stable, and others have been discharged.

No permission or protection sought

The SP said the temple organisers neither sought the mandatory permissions nor applied for police protection before conducting the event.

“It is mandatory for temples or religious institutions to inform the police in advance for crowd management, irrespective of the turnout,” he said.

According to the SP, the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple is a private establishment and was operating without proper approvals. The organisers reportedly failed to comply with safety protocols. The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

(With agency inputs)