TTD apologises for stampede claimed 8 lives-1736380800

TTD apologises for stampede claimed 8 lives

STAFF REPORTER

January 9,2025

Tirupati stampede updates: Jostling among hundreds of devotees for tickets to a religious event in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is suspected to have caused the stampede that claimed at least six lives on Wednesday evening.

The incident took place when a large number of devotees, who turned up from across the country, gathered for tickets for the annual Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, an official from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) told HT. The 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam (darshan of the deity from the northern entrance of the temple) commences from January 10

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu condoled the incident, saying it “deeply disturbed” him.

“The death of several devotees in a stampede near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for tokens to visit Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara has shocked me. This tragic incident, which took place at a time when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens, deeply disturbed me,” Chandrababu Naidu wrote in a post in Telugu on X.

“In the wake of information that the condition of some of them is critical, I have directed higher officials to go to the spot and take relief measures... to provide better medical treatment to the injured and save their lives. I am talking to the district and TTD officials from time to time and am taking stock of the situation,” the CM added.

Tirupati stampede: What happened?

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees temple operations, had set up special counters to distribute darshan tokens for the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival on January 9, The Indian Express reported.
These tokens, allowing devotees to visit Lord Venkateswara, were being handed out at MGM High School in Bairagipatteda, near the Vishnu Nivasam temple in Tirupati.
Thousands of devotees began lining up at the counters from Wednesday morning, and by evening, the crowd had become unruly with pushing and jostling.
According to BR Naidu, chairman of TTD, the stampede occurred when a gate was opened to assist a woman feeling unwell, but the crowd surged forward all at once, leading to chaos, the report claimed.

Arrangements for 120,000 tokens distribution

Officials told HT that the TTD made arrangements for the distribution of 120,000 tokens to the devotees for the “sarva darshan” (free darshan) of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy for the first three days of the annual darshan on January 10 to 12.
The distribution arrangements were made at 94 counters at three pilgrim lodges — Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Bhudevi complexes, besides other places like Satyanarayanapuram, Bairagipatteda and Ramanaidu school, in Tirupati, officials said.
Chaos broke out at Srinivasam to get the tokens for the annual pilgrimage. “This resulted in a stampede-like situation, as the pilgrims surged forward towards the counters to get the tokens,” the official added.

TTD apologises for Tirupati stampede

Terming the stampede as unfortunate, TTD board member Bhanu Prakash sought the forgiveness of Srivari (Lord Venkateswara Swamy) devotees over the incident, news agency PTI reported.

There was some lacuna and stringent action will be taken but lost lives cannot be brought back, he said.