Andhra Temple Tragedy: In a significant development following the devastating stampede at the Venkateswara Temple in Kasi Bugga, Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, police have made their first arrest. The incident on Saturday claimed the lives of 10 devotees and left several others injured.
Authorities have taken into custody a key individual in connection with the tragedy. Police have registered a case against private organizer Mukunda Panda and the temple management under relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act (now BNSS), accusing them of negligence during the event.
“Not a Stampede, But an Accident”: Police Clarify
Contrary to initial reports, the Srikakulam Superintendent of Police, K.V. Maheswar Reddy, has described the incident as an accident rather than a stampede. He explained that a six-foot-high iron railing suddenly collapsed under the pressure of the large crowd gathered for the Ekadashi festival. This caused panic, leading to people falling over one another.
“The railing gave way, and this tragic incident occurred. It was not a stampede,” Reddy stated.
Massive Crowd Beyond Capacity
The scale of the crowd was a critical factor. State Minister Kondapalli Srinivas revealed that while the temple usually sees 3,000 to 5,000 visitors, the number swelled to over 25,000 on Saturday due to the auspicious occasion. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu pointed a finger at the temple management, stating that they had failed to inform the police about the expected large gathering. He asserted that had they been notified, adequate crowd control measures could have been put in place to prevent the disaster.
PM Modi Announces Ex-Gratia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the incident. In a post on X, he called the event “extremely distressing” and offered his condolences to the bereaved families. He announced ex-gratia from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), with ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
