At least six devotees died and dozens were injured in a stampede here on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, said an official.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu said one body has been identified.
“A DSP opened the gates…and immediately everybody pushing ahead led to this stampede and reports are emerging that six persons died,” Naidu told a vernacular news channel.
Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.
“A few devotees dying in a stampede near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati while trying for Vaikuna Dwara Darsanam has grieved me intensely,” said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a post on ‘X’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the deaths caused by a stampede near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He said that the state government is assisting the victims of the incident.
The stampede that claimed six lives at Tirupati was caused by “overcrowding”, said the Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
TTD Chairman BR Naidu was speaking to reporters after visiting the Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati, where he met the injured and reviewed their condition with doctors.
Calling the incident “unfortunate,” BR Naidu stated that a detailed report would released soon and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu would provide further information about the incident.
BR Naidu said, “The reason (for the stampede) is overcrowding…it is an unfortunate incident…tomorrow CM will tell everything, today the complete report will come. A total of 6 people have died, some are from Tamil Nadu and some are from Andhra Pradesh. As of now, one body has been identified and 5 are yet to be identified…”