Six devotees lost their lives, and dozens of others sustained injuries in a stampede during the distribution of tokens for the Vaikuntha Dwara Sarvadarshanam, a special darshan for devotees at the Tirupati Balaji Temple, Andhra Pradesh. The 10-day darshan begins on Friday. The stampede was caused by a massive rush of devotees attempting to secure tokens, leading to chaos and tragedy.
Among the deceased, one devotee was identified as being from Tamil Nadu’s Salem. Dozens of other devotees sustained injuries and were immediately rushed to Ruia Hospital for treatment. According to witnesses, nearly 60 individuals ended up falling over one another amid the chaos at the counter.
Many devotees claimed that the police were negligent in handling the crowd. Locals claimed that a lack of ambulance drivers caused delays in shifting the injured to the hospital, further worsening the situation.
BR Naidu, chairperson of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, denied any conspiracy, describing the incident as an accident. He mentioned that he had previously warned officials to take precautions, particularly due to rumors suggesting that not everyone might be allowed entry to Tirumala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences through a statement, saying that he was deeply pained by the incident and extended his sympathies to the families of the deceased. He also wished for the swift recovery of the injured and assured that the Andhra Pradesh government was providing all necessary assistance.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed that the incident was both shocking and profoundly upsetting to him. He stated that he had directed officials to provide better medical care to the injured and was monitoring the situation closely. Naidu also announced his plans to visit Tirupati to oversee relief measures personally.
Authorities have initiated a probe into the incident to determine whether police negligence played a role in the tragedy. The tokens were set to be distributed from 5 a.m. the following day, but devotees had queued up in advance, leading to overcrowding.
Andhra MLA and TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh expressed his grief over the incident, urging the TTD to make more elaborate arrangements to prevent such tragedies in the future. He affirmed that the government would extend its support to the families of those who lost their lives.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also extended his condolences, calling the incident deeply saddening. Congress’s YS Sharmila criticized the governance system, attributing the incident to mismanagement. She called for an immediate investigation and demanded comprehensive support for the injured and the families of the deceased.
Visuals from the scene revealed a significant police presence and injured devotees being transported to ambulances.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Sreelekshmi P/MSM)