Stampede at Indian temple, 8 women and 1 boy died

(CLO) At least 9 people, including 8 women and 1 boy, were killed in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh state, India.

The incident, which occurred on the morning of November 1, also left dozens of others injured, as crowds jostled to attend a Hindu ritual. According to local officials, about 25,000 people gathered in the temple grounds in the town of Kasibugga, far exceeding the capacity of the place.

The stampede occurred as crowds flocked to the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga on the occasion of Ekadashi. Photo: INT

The chaos began when a railing collapsed under pressure from the crowd, causing many people to fall and be trampled as they tried to climb to the temple area on the first floor.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan confirmed the death toll at nine and said an official investigation was underway. He called it a “heartbreaking tragedy” and pledged to hold those responsible accountable.

The state government said the temple is privately run and has no official license to operate. Authorities were not notified of the festival in advance and therefore had no plans for safety or crowd control.

“We found that the temple was not registered in the state’s religious property management system. Organizing the festival without approval is a violation of regulations,” an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy. The Indian government announced financial assistance of 200,000 rupees (about $2,260) for each family of the victims and 50,000 rupees (565 USD) for the injured.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has vowed to take strict action against those responsible and has ordered a review of all privately organised religious events to prevent similar tragedies.

This is just one of several stampedes to hit India in 2025. In September, chaos at a rally by an actor and politician in Tamil Nadu left at least 39 people dead. In June, 11 people died in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in Karnataka.

Source: https://congluan.vn/giam-dap-tai-den-tho-an-do-8-phu-nu-va-1-be-trai-thiet-mang-10316259.html