TIRUMALA: Wednesday night's stampede at a token distribution centre in Tirupati resulted in the tragic loss of six lives, marking an unprecedented incident in the history of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
However, preliminary investigations have revealed a lack of barricades and inadequate crowd management at the Bairagipatteda center, where the stampede occurred. The incident exposed lapses in crowd management by the police and TTD officials at the token distribution centers.
According to sources, officials were alerted about the growing crowd and advised against allowing large congregations at the token centers to prevent untoward incidents. However, an alleged lack of cooperation from some police officials, particularly at the stampede site, has been revealed.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
At least six people were killed and over 40 injured in a stampede at a token distribution center for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala on Wednesday, as chaos erupted when hundreds scrambled for tickets ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi.
The tragedy occurred at the Ramanaidu Municipal High School grounds in Bairagipatteda, where tokens for Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan were being distributed. Thousands of devotees from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had gathered outside the designated token centers, with many forgoing food and water while waiting for their turn.
The TTD, initially scheduled to begin token distribution at 5 AM on Thursday, advanced the process to midnight due to heavy crowds. Devotees were allowed into the queue lines starting at 9 PM.
However, the situation spiralled out of control when crowds surged toward the gates at Bairagipatteda. At 8:50 PM, the gates gave way under pressure, triggering a stampede. Devotees fell and were trampled as panic spread. Security personnel, including police and TTD vigilance staff, were unable to manage the rush.
Local residents and police provided immediate assistance, performing CPR on the injured. Videos of untrained personnel attempting CPR went viral, highlighting the lack of preparedness. The chaos resulted in six deaths, while over 40 people were injured and rushed to Ruia and SVIMS hospitals.
The deceased were identified as Munireddy (25), Thimmakka (50), Ganesh (40), Sarasamma (27), Alagarani (42), and Venkata Lakshmi (53).
On Thursday, nearly 32 devotees injured in the stampede have been discharged after treatment at the SVR Ruia Government General Hospital. Additionally, two injured devotees, who requested to be shifted to SVIMS Hospital to join their relatives, were transferred accordingly.
District Collector S Venkateswar confirmed that post-mortems for the victims have been completed and arrangements were underway to transport the mortal remains to their hometowns. He also assured that steps were being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
TTD Chairman BR Naidu termed the incident “unfortunate” and expressed anger over administrative lapses. He stated that the mishap occurred due to the premature opening of the gates by a DSP, leading to chaos.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the accident site. Accompanied by several ministers, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials and others, the CM inspected the makeshift arrangements made to handle the multitudes of crowds arriving for the pilgrimage.
At the stampede site, Naidu demanded answers from TTD joint executive officer (health & education) M Gowthami over the incident.
Later he visited the SVIMS hospital were several of the injured persons are admitted and assured them of government support.
On Wednesday the chief minister had expressed dissatisfaction with the officials’ handling of the arrangements.He also emphasised the need for stricter measures to avoid a recurrence and vowed accountability for those responsible for the lapses.
The state government is also expected to order a probe into the stampede, raising concerns over crowd management and safety measures during major events.
Notably, TTD had made arrangements for over 7 lakh pilgrims to have Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan from January 10 to 19. Eight centers with 90 counters in Tirupati and one center with four counters in Tirumala were set up to issue SSD tokens. All privileged darshans, including those for senior citizens, disabled persons, and NRIs, were canceled to accommodate more common devotees. Over 3,000 policemen and 1,550 TTD personnel were deployed for security.
