Stampede at Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati; 6 killed, several injured

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the death of the devotees.

Updated on: Jan 8, 2025, 23:57:34 IST

By HT News Desk

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At least six devotees died and dozens were injured in a stampede at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills on Wednesday night. The incident took place as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam near the ancient temple.

Tirupati: Police personnel try to control the crowd as hundreds of devotees jostle for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam. (PTI)

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu said one body has been identified.

"A DSP opened the gates…and immediately everybody pushing ahead led to this stampede and reports are emerging that six persons died," Naidu told a vernacular news channel.

Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam starting on January 10.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit Tirupati on Thursday to comfort those injured.

"The CM directed us that these kinds of incidents should not recur", he said.

"Taking this as a lesson, it is incumbent upon all of us to avert these kinds of incidents in the future," said BR Naidu.

Videos of police personnel administering CPR on a couple of devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances have gone viral.

Also read: Tirupati stampede: Video shows scores jostling during ticket distribution

What CM Naidu said on Tirupati stampede?

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed his deep shock over the death of the devotees in the stampede, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.

The CM spoke to officials over the phone about the treatment being provided to the injured in the incident, the CMO said.

He is keeping “abreast of the current situation by speaking to district and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials from time to time”, it said.

The CM has ordered higher officials to go to the scene of the incident and take relief measures to ensure that the injured get better treatment, it added.

With inputs from PTI, ANI

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