Nine die in stampede at temple in Andhra

Nine people, including eight women and a child, died and several people were injured in a stampede at a private temple in Kasibugga town of Palasa constituency in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh where a large number of devotees had gathered on the occasion of Ekadashi during the holy month of Kartik.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Prime Minister Narendra Modiexpressed grief over the incident and announced that Rs 2 lakh will be paid as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the dead. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu blamed the temple authorities for not informing the local administration about the large gathering and ordered an inquiry into the incident, which saw eight women and a thirteen-year-old child die due to overcrowding.

The opposition YSRCP blamed the state government for the repeated incidents of stampede at shrines in the state.