Nine Dead In Kasibugga Temple Stampede In Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam District

At least nine people--eight women and a boy--were killed and many injured in a stampede at the Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday, officials said.

The incident occurred around 11.30 am when a large crowd had gathered at the temple premises, according to PTI. “Seven persons died and two others were injured,” Kasibugga sub-division in-charge DSP Lakshman Rao told PTI. The Srikakulam district collector later confirmed that the death toll had risen to nine.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the temple, a private one and not under the Endowments Department, usually witnesses a turnout of 1,500 to 2,000 devotees here every Saturday.

The tragedy was worsened by the Ekadasi observance coinciding with 'Karthika Masam', drawing large crowds.

According to the minister, the temple is located at an elevation on the first floor, and when the devotees were climbing, the railing broke, resulting in the people standing at a corner falling on one another.

One of the survivors from Dharmapuram village near Ichchapuram, said the approach to the temple is narrow, with only a single entry and exit point, which led to a buildup of devotees on both sides and resulted in chaos.

At least seven of the dead are in the age group of 35-40.

Srikakulam district superintendent of police (SP) KV Maheshwara Reddy said it is mandatory for temples (or religious institutions) to take permission from police when they are organising events, irrespective of the strength of the turnout.

“It is definitely mandatory under the Public Safety Act. They can ask for any number of people. It is not that only 200 or 2,000 people. Even if 200 people come, they can inform us and we will assess the situation, based on that we will provide the bandobust,” Reddy told PTI.

Incidentally, the police provided security to other temples in the North Andhra district today, but the SP said the owner of this particular temple, Mukunda Panda, failed to inform them.

According to Reddy, Panda built the temple without the requisite permissions and opened it.

Mukunda Panda, a 95-year-old man who built the temple, told the media that he did not expect so many people to turn up at the temple, as he had never witnessed huge crowds before.

Meanwhile, the SP said cases are being registered under culpable homicide charges.

Earlier, Reddy said nine people died in the mishap.

"Nine (deaths). Nine only, (Condition of) one person is a bit serious. He is not dead. One child is there, a 12-year-old child; the remaining (victims) are all female. And it is a private temple. It is not a government temple. It was constructed recently,” said Reddy.

The police official clarified that the incident was a result of a railing collapse near the steps, which led to panic.

The public thought that something was falling and panicked. They fell from a height of about six feet. Since the collapse was from a height of six feet, one person fell on another, and that led to the incident, he added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident. In a post on X, he said, “The stampede at Kasibugga Venkateswara temple in Srikakulam district anguished me. It is very sad that devotees have died in this unfortunate incident. I convey my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims.”

The Chief Minister said he had directed officials to ensure proper medical care for the injured and instructed authorities and local leaders to oversee the relief work at the site.

This is a developing story.

(With inputs from PTI)