Scores of women stuck in a few metres of space, puja baskets in their hands, and many of them screaming for help: videos from Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam capture the rush leading to the stampede tragedy that claimed at least nine lives. The stampede occurred after a large crowd of devotees gathered at the temple on the occasion of Ekadashi, considered a sacred day by Hindus.
The disturbing visuals show women trying to scale the rails on a narrow pathway to escape the stampede. Many of them are heard crying for help as some men try to pull them to safety. Some visuals also show relatives trying to administer CPR to victims and rubbing their palms in last-ditch efforts to revive them.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has expressed shock over the tragedy and described the deaths as “heartbreaking”. “The stampede incident at the Venkateswara Temple in Kashibugga in Srikakulam district has caused a shock. The death of devotees in this tragic incident is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to those who have been injured,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X. He has asked local officials and public representatives to reach the spot and oversee relief operations.
Governor S Abdul Nazeer has expressed anguish over the stampede deaths. “Governor Sri Abdul Nazeer offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and directed the district administration to provide better medical care to the injured pilgrims,” the Raj Bhavan has said.
According to government sources, the temple authorities had not informed the local administration that a rush of devotees was expected on Ekadashi. Also, the area where the pilgrims gathered was under construction. The Srikakulam temple is a privately-run temple, not under the state government endowments department.