At least six people were killed and 20 others seriously injured in a stampede in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati on Wednesday evening.
Among the victims, at least three are women, and many of the injured pilgrims are from Tamil Nadu. The injured have been rushed to Ruia Hospital for treatment.
Authorities are yet to confirm the identities of the deceased and injured.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board stated that it had set up around 90 counters at various locations in Tirupati and announced that tickets would be available from 5 a.m. on January 9. The announcement attracted tens of thousands of devotees eager to secure their place for darshan on January 10. However, the overwhelming crowd at centers such as Vishnu Nivasam, Bairagipatteda, and Ramachandra Pushkarini caused chaos as the arrangements reportedly fell short of managing the massive gathering.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the incident and instructed TTD and police officials to provide the best medical care to the injured. He also called for strict action against employees responsible for the lapses that led to the tragedy.
