Chaos erupted in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday evening when a stampede during the issuance of Vaikunthadwara Sarvadarshan tokens claimed six lives and left over 30 others injured, some critically.
The incident occurred around 8 pm as officials from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) began distributing tokens at various centers, including Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Padmavati Park.
The situation spiraled out of control when the gates were opened to assist an unwell devotee, causing a massive crowd surge. Devotees, many of whom had been waiting since early morning, rushed forward, triggering severe congestion.
The lack of effective crowd management led to stampedes at two locations. TTD had announced the distribution of 1.2 lakh tokens for the Vaikunthadwara darshan scheduled for January 10 (Ekadasi), which was to be issued at nine centers with 94 counters. However, the sudden surge overwhelmed the system.
Among the deceased was Mallika, a devotee from Salem, Tamil Nadu, who succumbed to her injuries while being taken to Ruia Hospital. Three others died during treatment at Ruia, while two more passed away at SVIMS.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy. “The incident, caused by a massive crowd surge during token distribution, is deeply disturbing,” he said. Naidu assured that he was in constant contact with district and TTD officials, overseeing relief efforts and medical care for the injured. Eyewitnesses blamed poor crowd control for the disaster.
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