Six die in stampede at Tirupati during token distribution; Andhra CM monitors situation

At least six devotees died on Wednesday in a stampede at the Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh where tokens were being issued to devotees for having ‘Baikunth Dwar’ darshan.

The stampede took place near Vishnu Niwasam when a large number of devotees were attempting to secure tokens for the Darshan. According to the initial reports, one of the slain devotees was from Tamil Nadu’s Salem. Among the six dead, 5 are women. The injured devotees in the stampede were rushed to the Ruia Hospital for medical attention after the situation turned ugly.

A fight reportedly took place at the token issuing centre in Satyanarayanapuram due to the absence of security personnel. After the situation got out of hand, a heavy deployment of armed forces was arranged near the temple and at the ticket counter to manage the crowd. Around two dozen devotees were shifted to the hospital in the ambulances. Due to alleged mismanagement, devotees are expressing their anger.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu ordered relief measures for the injured devotees. Speaking to officials over the phone, Naidu enquired about the treatment being provided to the injured in the incident and directed them to provide all possible help to the injured in the incident.

“The death of several devotees in a stampede near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for tokens to visit Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara has shocked me. This tragic incident, which took place at a time when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens, deeply disturbed me. In the wake of information that the condition of some of them is critical, I have directed higher officials to go to the spot and take relief measures… to provide better medical treatment to the injured and save their lives. I am talking to the district and TTD officials from time to time and am taking stock of the situation,” Andhra CM posted on X.

Hundreds of devotees showed up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which begins on January 10.

Expressing shock over the death of devotees due to the stampede, TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu described the stampede incident as unfortunate.

The chairman explained that a DSP opened the gates, leading to a sudden rush of devotees, which resulted in the tragedy. He mentioned that CM Chandrababu Naidu responded strongly to the incident and instructed that such incidents should not recur in the future.

The Chief Minister emphasised the need to strictly implement safety guidelines and welfare measures for devotees to prevent such incidents from happening again.