Railing collapse triggers stampede at private temple in Andhra; 9 dead

CHIEF MINISTER NAIDU ORDERS INQUIRY; PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES EX-GRATIA TO VICTIMS' FAMILIES

- MPOST BUREAU

At least nine people, including eight women and a 12-year-old boy, were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district on Saturday. The tragedy struck when a railing collapsed at the private temple, triggering panic among hundreds of devotees gathered for darshan.

According to Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, the temple, located on an elevated structure in Kasibugga town, typically attracts between 1,500 and 2,000 devotees every Saturday. "This being Ekadasi during the auspicious Karthika Masam, the turnout was much larger than usual," she said. The minister added that as devotees climbed the narrow approach to the temple, the railing gave way, causing people to fall on one another.

A survivor from Dharmapuram village recounted that the temple had only a single entry and exit point, creating a severe bottleneck. "There was no space to move. People were stuck on both sides, and when the railing broke, everyone fell over," he said.

Most of the victims were women aged between 35 and 40. Several others were taken to the government hospital in Palasa, where doctors treated around 30 people for fractures and breathing difficulties. "Many were brought in with broken limbs and signs of suffocation. They were given first aid and kept under observation," said a doctor at the hospital.