A stampede near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in India resulted in the deaths of six individuals and 35 injuries, as thousands of devout Hindus gathered to secure free visit passes during an auspicious period from Friday to Jan. 19. The stampede occurred when a gate was opened, causing 2,500 people to push through and some to fall. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident. Normally, tickets to visit the nearly 2,000-year-old temple cost $3.50 each and are sold online.
The stampede took place outside a school set up by state authorities to issue tickets and video footage showed police struggling to manage the crowd. People queuing for passes began pushing and jostling each other, leading to the stampede. A dozen of the injured individuals were still hospitalized. The temple operator, TTD, apologized for the incident and promised action against those responsible. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inspected the site and visited the injured in the hospital.
The YSR Congress Party blamed the state government for the stampede, calling it an administrative failure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered condolences for the incident, expressing sympathy for those who lost loved ones. Overall, the stampede at the popular temple in Andhra Pradesh was a tragic event, highlighting the dangers of large crowds and the need for proper event planning and crowd management.
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