What Triggered Horrific Stampede at Andhra's Venkateswara Swamy Temple That Killed 10

Srikakulam: Massive overcrowding by thousands of devotees gathered  for Ekadashi celebrations leads to stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, on Saturday.

At least ten devotees died and several others were injured in a stampede. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and the situation is reportedly under control.

As many as 25,000 devotees had thronged the temple. However, the capacity of the temple was only 2000.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “A stampede took place at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, leaving several people injured. The incident occurred as a large crowd gathered on the occasion of Ekadashi. The heavy rush of devotees led to overcrowding, resulting in a sudden stampede.”

Those injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Relief and rescue operations were launched, and authorities have confirmed that the situation is under control.

State Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu, who visited the site, said, “We are closely coordinating with temple authorities and police to ensure the safety of devotees and provide immediate assistance to the injured.”

Additional police forces have been deployed to manage the crowd and prevent further incidents. Officials have also announced an inquiry to investigate the causes of the stampede and to ensure that similar tragedies do not occur in the future.