Four devotees died in a stampede in Tirupati during the distribution of Vaikunta Dwara Sarva Darshan tokens

Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.

Four devotees died and several more were injured in a stampede at Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, a police official said.

The official confirmed to PTI that three women and a man died in the stampede.

The incident occurred around 9 pm on Wednesday as devotees thronged Vishnu Nivasam for tickets to the darshanam, which commenced on January 10.

Visuals from the scene showed police administering CPR on a couple of woman devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu spoke to officials over the phone about the treatment being provided to the injured in the stampede at Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati.

Four people died in the stampede that occurred at Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati during the distribution of Vaikunta Dwara Sarva Darshan tokens. Officials said that the situation is now under control. pic.twitter.com/655uJ7NEiK

Earlier in the day, Naidu visited the Tirumala temple and offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum. He also participated in the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam and later reviewed the arrangements made for the devotees at Vishnu Nivasam.

The chief minister directed officials to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees and asked them to take steps to avoid any inconvenience.

He also instructed officials to provide better facilities for pilgrims at Vishnu Nivasam and said that the government was committed to ensuring the welfare of devotees.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)