Thousands Gathered at a Single Counter, Absence of Crowd Management: Causes Behind Tirupati Stampede
Distribution setups were established at 94 locations within three pilgrim accommodations - Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Bhudevi complexes.
Just two days prior to the Vaikuntha Ekadasi celebration at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple located in the Tirumala Hills of Andhra Pradesh, massive crowds arrived at over 90 ticket counters arranged for the event.
Preparations were made to issue 120,000 tokens to devotees for the "sarva darshan" (free darshan) of Lord Venkateswara Swamy during the initial three days of the yearly darshan occurring from January 10 to 12.
Tokens for the 10-day celebration were set to be distributed starting at 5 am on Thursday; however, many individuals began to gather the night before at counters established by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages temple activities.
Distribution sites were established at 94 counters across three pilgrim lodges - Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Bhudevi complexes, along with various other locations such as Satyanarayanapuram, Bairagipatteda, and Ramanaidu school in Tirupati, according to officials. Tirupati Municipal Commissioner N Moruya mentioned that the situation became uncontrollable at the counter set up at MGM High School in Bairagipatteda, close to the Vishnu Nivasam temple. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 individuals surged to the counter starting Wednesday morning. By the evening, the crowd grew disorderly, resulting in pushing and shoving.
As per BR Naidu, the TTD chairman, the chaos erupted when a gate was opened to assist a woman who was feeling ill, prompting the crowd to rush forward simultaneously.
The inadequate measures to regulate the crowd led to a stampede on Wednesday night, causing the deaths of at least six devotees and leaving over 40 others injured.
The festival allows worshippers to offer prayers to the deity Lord Venkateswara from the northern entrance of the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those who have lost their "loved ones." Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called on Congress members to extend all possible assistance during this challenging time.
