Six Dead in Chaos at Tirupati Temple Token Distribution

INIndia|

A tragic stampede at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh resulted in the deaths of at least six devotees and injuries to over 40 others during an overcrowded token distribution event for the Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival.

The calamity occurred on January 8, 2025, as thousands of pilgrims gathered at various counters to collect darshan tokens for the festival, scheduled to begin on January 10. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams had set up 94 counters across three lodges and other locations to distribute 120,000 tokens for the first three days of the event.

The situation escalated when a counter at MGM High School became overwhelmed with around 4,000-5,000 individuals. As volunteers attempted to assist one woman in distress, the crowd surged, leading to chaos. Local authorities admitted that inadequate crowd control measures contributed to the disaster.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families affected, while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu described the incident as "deeply disturbing." The local municipal commissioner stated that it took approximately 15 minutes to evacuate the area as officials worked to restore order.

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