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The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced an ex gratia of ₹25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased devotees who died in a stampede in Tirupati, officials said, adding that police have filed two separate first information reports (FIRs) over the matter.

- Agencies

TIRUPATI:

Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills.

"The state government has announced an ex gratia of ₹25 lakh to the families of the deceased persons," said an official release.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday visited the injured in the stampede.

"Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu comforted devotees who were injured in yesterday's (Wednesday) stampede at SVIMS (Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS))," an official statement said.

The CM spent 90 minutes in the hospital with the injured devotees. Earlier, Naidu visited the accident site.

Meanwhile, Tirupati East Police have registered two separate FIRs.

The first case involved R. Malliga, 50, a resident of Tamil Nadu's Mettur Salem district, who collapsed in a queue for darshan tokens at Vishnunivasam. A complaint was filed by P. Srinivasulu, a Tahsildar from Balaiahpalli Mandal, stating that Malliga fainted amidst a rush of devotees.

Despite being rushed to Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital (SVRRGG), she was declared dead on arrival. Police registered the case and attributed the incident to overcrowding and the victim's health condition.

The second FIR, lodged by M. Jayaramulu, 61, a Tahsildar from Narayanavanam Mandal, reported the deaths of five more devotees.

According to the complaint, the victims were waiting for darshan tokens at Padmavathi Park near Ramanaidu School when a sudden surge in the queue caused them to fall.

They were rushed to SVRRGG Hospital, where medical authorities pronounced them dead.