The recent stampede at the Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh has left survivors deeply shaken. K Ravi Naidu, a 45-year-old devotee from Palasa, described the turnout of 15,000 people as “totally unexpected.” He noted that normally, even on festive days, the temple sees only about 400-500 visitors daily. Naidu was shocked by the sheer number of devotees when he visited for his routine darshan, witnessing serpentine queues that quickly devolved into a dangerous jostle for space.
The terrifying incident, which claimed nine lives and injured several others, reportedly began in the women’s queue due to overcrowding. One witness, speaking anonymously, revealed that the barricades erected to manage the flow of devotees could not withstand the immense pressure and collapsed. “In the resulting confusion, narrow passageways turned deadly as thousands tried to push their way out,” the witness stated.
Adding to the chaos, witnesses reported a distinct lack of visible security personnel. One anonymous attendee mentioned not seeing a single police constable or private temple guard managing the crowd, describing the situation as “all chaos.” R Meena echoed this sentiment, recounting her struggle to exit the pushing and jostling crowd with her young son, unable to have her darshan.
G Swathi from Cherukupalli described a “horrific scene” with unconscious women lying around, emphasizing the absence of volunteers or security to aid the victims. She herself was gasping for breath amidst the pandemonium.
The surge in attendance is believed to have been fueled by social media, with various local channels highlighting the temple, built by a private individual, as “Chinna Tirumala.” This promotion, stemming from a two-year-old report about the temple’s construction on the lines of the Tirupati temple, appears to have created significant enthusiasm among the public.
The temple’s builder, Hari Mukund Panda, expressed his devastation over the loss of life. The 80-year-old admitted he never anticipated such a large crowd, having made arrangements for only about 2,000 devotees and not informing the police about the Ekadasi festival, assuming a smaller turnout.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow, calling the loss of innocent lives “extremely painful” and offering condolences to the bereaved families. He lamented the lack of communication with authorities, stating that proper police protection and crowd control measures could have prevented the tragedy. An inquiry will be conducted, and stern action will be taken against those responsible.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also conveyed his grief, promising all necessary government assistance to the victims’ families and directing officials to enhance crowd management, police deployment, and medical facilities at crowded temples.
Meanwhile, the incident has triggered a political debate, with the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Dharmana Prasada Rao criticizing the government’s alleged negligence. He argued that the government failed to implement adequate crowd management systems during the significant Karthika Masam Ekadashi, despite the expected heavy footfall. Prasada Rao called the government’s attempt to distance itself from responsibility by citing the temple’s private status “shameful and insensitive.” He demanded an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh for each deceased’s family and financial aid for the injured.
Relief efforts are reportedly being coordinated by State RTGS Minister Nara Lokesh, with state ministers and local MLAs also assisting at the accident site. A control room has been established in the Collectorate to manage relief operations.