Tirupati Temple Stampede: A tragic stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, claimed six lives, and an eyewitness has shared details about the incident. She explained that the chaos began when police opened the gates for token distribution, triggering an overwhelming rush of pilgrims. According to her, there was no prior system in place for obtaining tokens. The stampede, which happened near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati on Wednesday evening, claimed six lives and left several others injured, according to officials from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
The eyewitness said that six members of her 20-person family were injured. She added that a large group of male pilgrims surged forward, causing several women to be injured. The injured were later taken to the hospital.
What led to stampede? An eyewitness recalls
Describing the chaotic scene, she explained that the stampede happened because of a heavy rush of pilgrims when police opened the gate for token distribution. She noted that this system for obtaining tokens was new and had not been implemented before.
She mentioned that six members of her family, out of a group of twenty, were injured. They had joined the queue at 11 am and were given milk and biscuits while waiting. However, the situation escalated when a large number of male pilgrims surged forward to get tokens, resulting in injuries to several women, who were later taken to the hospital.
The husband of Mallika, one of the victims, recounted the heartbreaking incident, revealing that the stampede occurred while his wife and others were trying to secure Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets. Tragically, this led to her death.
Tirumala Tirupati’s reaction to the stampede
According to a statement from the office of TTD Chairman BR Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is actively monitoring the situation and plans to meet the families of the stampede victims on Thursday morning.
The statement described the incident as tragic, confirming that six pilgrims lost their lives. While one victim has been identified, efforts are underway to identify the others. The Chief Minister, deeply concerned about the incident, expressed his dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation during a teleconference with officials. He emphasized the need to prevent such tragedies in the future and is staying updated on the developments. He is scheduled to visit the families of the deceased at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday.
(With ANI Inputs)