'Act Of God': 94-Year-Old Builder Of Andhra Temple After Stampede Kills 9 People

Srikakulam: A bizarre statement has been issued by the man who built the privately-run temple in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam where a stampede left nine devotees dead on Saturday morning.

Harimukund Panda, the 94-year-old man from Odisha who built the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, reportedly said that no one was responsible for the stampede. 

As per reports, he said, "It was an act of God." 

He reportedly also said that he did not expect such a huge crowd to visit the temple since only 3,000 to 4,000 devotees come to the temple every day. He stated that he "does not know" from where so many people came.

A case has been registered against Panda and other members of the temple management under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act for negligence.

The stampede occurred after 25,000 devotees thronged the temple on the occasion of Karthika Ekadashi. The premises allegedly had inadequate safety measures and crowd control arrangement.

Police have stated that the unregistered private temple had no prior permission to hold the gathering. They added that a railing along the staircase, believed to be poorly constructed, collapsed and caused a person to fall, following which panic was triggered and the crowd moved forward.

The tragic incident claimed the life of eight women and a 13-year-old boy.

Announcing an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X, “Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon.” The PM also announced ₹50,000 aid for the injured.

An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the tragedy.

Also Read- Srikakulam Temple Stampede: Unregistered Private Shrine Hosts Event Without Permission, Claims Police