Stampede at Tirupati; 6 killed, several injured
At least six devotees died and dozens were injured in a stampede at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills on Wednesday night.
The incident took place as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam near the ancient temple.
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 starting on January 10.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit Tirupati on Thursday to comfort those injured.
“The CM directed us that these kinds of incidents should not recur”, he said.
“Taking this as a lesson, it is incumbent upon all of us to avert these kinds of incidents in the future,” said BR Naidu.
Videos of police personnel administering CPR on a couple of devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances have gone viral.