The night of 8th January took a dark turn as it brought along itself a tragedy that claimed the lives of six devotees and left many injured near Vishnu Nivasam at Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh after a stampede broke out during the distribution of tokens.
The tragedy at Tirumala Temple unfolded during the distribution of tokens for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan of Lord Venkateshwara Temple, as thousands of devotees gathered for the 10-day festival starting January 10. The chaos unfolded as hundreds of devotees jostled to secure their tokens for the sacred event, leading to the stampede. One of the deceased, Mallika, was reportedly from Tamil Nadu. Those injured were rushed to the Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati for treatment.
Tirupati Municipal Commissioner Mourya mentioned that the situation was in control at every counter except one at MGM school, where the stampede occurred. “Around 4000 to 5000 people came together at a time. It is really unfortunate. Now the situation is under control,” she said.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and concern over safety measures at religious events. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his deep shock over the deaths, assuring that officials would ensure the best possible treatment for the injured. He also promised that relief efforts would be stepped up. Reportedly, he will be meeting the families of the victims of the stampede today.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the unfortunate incident. He took to twitter to express his sorrow and wrote “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The AP Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected”.
Leader of Opposition from Congress Rahul Gandhi also condoned the tragedy. He wrote, “The tragic stampede in Tirupati is deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing a swift recovery to all those injured. I urge Congress leaders and workers to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time.”
