Apart from the nine deaths --eight women and a boy-- several others were also injured on Saturday at this temple located at Kasibugga town. Many were hospitalised with limb fractures and breathlessness
Police personnel and others investigate the spot after a stampede at Ventakeswara Swamy Temple, at Kasibugga, in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Pic/PTI
The Andhra Pradesh Police on Sunday barred devotees from entering the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district, following the tragic incident in which nine people were crushed to death during a religious gathering there previous day, news agency PTI reported.
Apart from the nine deaths --eight women and a boy-- several others were also injured on Saturday at this temple located at Kasibugga town. Many were hospitalised with limb fractures and breathlessness.
According to the survivors, the lone gate was closed and a group of devotees who were allowed into the temple for darshan earlier fell along with broken grill suddenly onto large number of people waiting below the staircase, leading to the tragedy, PTI reported.
"We have barred devotees from entering the temple in view of the tragedy," Srikakulam District Superintendent of Police (SP), KV Maheshwara Reddy told PTI.
The bodies of the nine victims were sent for post-mortem and later handed over to their families, he said, adding that two persons who sustained serious injuries are now stable, and others have been discharged.
The SP stated that the temple organisers neither sought mandatory permissions nor applied for police protection before conducting the event.
"It is mandatory for temples or religious institutions to inform police in advance for crowd management, irrespective of the turnout," he said.
According to the SP, the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple is a private establishment and was operating without proper approvals. The organisers reportedly failed to comply with safety protocols. Meanwhile, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
"Unknown amount of rush, suffocation...": Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh on Srikakulam stampede
Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said that an "unknown amount of rush" at Venkateswara Swamy Temple led to a "lot of suffocation" and sadly resulted in the stampede due to a lack of crowd management, news agency ANI reported.
He further clarified that the shrine has both an entry and an exit. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader said that an "unfortunate" incident had happened in Kasibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple.
"Today, being Ekadashi, like never before, pilgrims came here. They wanted to take the blessings of the Lord. This is a private temple. From morning 6 to afternoon 12, they perform darshans. Then, they take a break, and again at 3 pm, they reopen the temple. The temple has clearly 2 ways - one is entry and the other is exit," Nara Lokesh told reporters after meeting the injured at a hospital in Srikakulam.
He was accompanied by the Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, reported ANI.
Nara Lokesh gave a detailed account of the events.
"At 11.30 am, because there was an unknown amount of rush, the entry point was closed. Many people who attended felt that they could use the exit route. That created a lot of suffocation. The entry has steps, so the person on the top tripped and fell, this resulted in a cascading effect. Also, the queue planners were not planned for such a crowd...," Nara Lokesh explained to reporters.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
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