Srikakulam stampede: Temple built for 3,000; 25,000 gathered, says minister

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CM Naidu orders probe

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced that a full-fledged inquiry would be conducted into the stampede.

Addressing a gathering in Sri Sathya Sai district, Naidu blamed the organisers for failing to inform the police in advance, which prevented adequate security measures from being made.

"An individual constructed Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga. Lot of devotees went there to have darshan on the occasion of auspicious Kartika masam (month). He did not inform the police. Had he infrared, police protection would have been provided and controlled the crowd," he said.

Describing the incident as "painful" and "condemnable", the Chief Minister said, "... Innocent people lost their lives. We will take this incident seriously. Whoever is responsible, they will be taken into custody and a full-pledged inquiry will be conducted." He said the tragedy occurred due to lack of orderliness and discipline.

Watch: YSRCP leaders visit stampede victims in Srikakulam hospital

Leaders of the YSR Congress Party visited the hospital in Srikakulam to meet those injured in the recent stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple. They expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and assured all possible support to the victims. The tragic incident, which occurred during a crowded religious event, claimed nine lives and left several others injured.

'Never expected this to happen': Temple trustee Harimukund Panda

Temple trustee Harimukund Panda broke down in tears while speaking about the devastating stampede at the Sri Vijaya Venkateswara Swami Temple in Kashi Buggah, which claimed nine lives. Visibly shaken, he said he had never imagined such a tragedy could occur at the temple.

“I never imagined something like this would happen,” Panda said, struggling to hold back tears. He explained that on ordinary days, the temple usually receives around 2,000 devotees, and he had not expected such an enormous crowd on Saturday, reported The Federal Andhra Pradesh.

“I usually distribute prasadam to devotees and send them off. I never thought something like this would happen. Since I didn’t expect so many people to come, I did not inform the police in advance,” he said.

District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) spoke with Harimukund Panda inside the temple premises following the incident. Police have since taken full control of the temple and its surroundings to prevent further chaos.

Panda, who built the temple on his own land four years ago, remains inside the temple compound as officials continue their inquiry into the tragedy that turned a day of devotion into one of mourning.

Overcrowding, poor planning led to AP temple stampede

Several reasons for the tragic stampede that killed nine devotees at the Sri Vijaya Venkateswara Swami Temple in Kashi Buggah, Srikakulam district, have emerged. The incident occurred earlier today, when thousands of worshippers gathered at the temple during a rare and auspicious convergence of Karthika Masam, Ekadashi, and Saturday. The combination, believed to bring great spiritual merit, drew crowds far beyond the temple’s capacity, leading to chaos and tragedy.

Unprecedented devotee turnout: The overlap of three sacred days prompted a massive influx of devotees from nearby mandals, many arriving in government-arranged RTC buses.

Single entry and exit route: The temple’s design includes only one narrow passage for both entry and exit, creating severe congestion near the stairway to the sanctum.

Collapse of stairway railing: The railing on the steps reportedly broke under pressure, causing people to fall onto others below.

Lack of crowd management: Authorities failed to anticipate the rush and did not deploy adequate personnel or barricades to control the crowd.

Devotees’ fasting and exhaustion: Many pilgrims were fasting without food or water, leaving them weak and vulnerable to suffocation in the crush.

Nine devotees-eight women and one child-lost their lives, while several others were injured. The Andhra Pradesh government has ordered a probe and announced compensation for the victims’ families.

Srikakulam temple stampede exposes major safety lapses, says police

Srikakulam Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheswara Reddy said multiple safety failures led to the stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, which left nine people dead, including eight women and one boy. Reddy said the tragedy was the result of poor crowd management and a lack of coordination by the temple organisers.

“In Kasibugga PS limits, an unfortunate incident happened today. A total of 9 people have lost their lives – 8 women and 1 boy,” Reddy said as quoted by ANI. He explained that organisers used the same queue line for both entry and exit, which led to dangerous congestion.

“There was a queue; the same queue line was used for entry and exit. The iron grill there collapsed, and the height of the steps was approximately 7 feet. So, the public fell from 7 feet to the ground. So, this incident happened,” the SP said, describing how structural failure and crowd movement combined to cause the tragedy.

Watch: Visuals from Srikakulam hospital after temple stampede kills nine

Visuals have emerged from outside a hospital in Srikakulam, where several devotees injured in the Venkateswara Swamy Temple stampede are being treated. The tragedy claimed nine lives, leaving the district in shock.

Ram Mohan Naidu orders medical aid, mourns deaths in AP temple stampede

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said he had instructed officials to ensure swift medical assistance for those injured in the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple stampede in Palasa, Andhra Pradesh, and expressed hope for their speedy recovery.

“I have instructed the authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to those injured in this incident. I pray to the divine that they recover swiftly,” the minister said in a post on X.

Conveying his condolences, Naidu described the tragedy as “deeply heartbreaking,” adding, “The tragic stampede incident at the Palasa Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, where innocents lost their lives, is deeply heartbreaking. I extend my profound condolences to the families of those who passed away.”

Minister says no prior warning about crowd surge at Kasibugga temple

Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Endowments Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said the government had not received any prior information about the sudden crowd surge at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district.

Reddy clarified that the temple was not managed by the government and had been built by a private individual named Harimukundapanda.

“The capacity of this temple is only up to 2,000 to 3,000 people. Today, being Ekadashi, up to 25,000 people arrived all at once. Arrangements were not made accordingly,” the minister said, reported the Hindustan Times.

Rahul Gandhi expresses grief over Kasibugga temple stampede

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh.

In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.”

He further said, “My heart goes out to the bereaved families and all those injured. I hope they find strength and recover soon.”

Appealing to the state authorities, Gandhi urged, “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.”

He also called upon his party members, adding, “I appeal to our Congress leaders and workers in the region to assist in relief work, and support the grieving.”