A stampede outside the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh claimed six lives and left several others injured on Wednesday night as thousands of devotees gathered to collect free tokens for an upcoming temple visit.
The tokens were to be distributed at a local school starting Thursday for visits to the nearly 2,000-year-old temple during the auspicious period of Jan. 10-19, according to reports by the Indian Express.
Eager devotees began forming queues as early as Wednesday, but the crowd quickly grew uncontrollable, leading to a tragic stampede. The office of the state’s chief minister confirmed the incident, highlighting the overwhelming turnout of devotees.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, posting on X: “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones.”
The Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, popularly known as Tirupati, is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in India, attracting millions of devotees each year. The temple’s auspicious visitation period draws even larger crowds, with devotees seeking blessings from the deity.
Authorities are investigating the incident and have urged pilgrims to follow safety protocols to prevent further tragedies during the festive period.
