Tirupati, January 8 : A tragic stampede broke out near the Vishnu Nivasam area at Tirupati Balaji Temple, claiming the lives of six people and injuring 50 others. The chaos occurred when a large crowd gathered for Vekuntha Dwara Darshan tokens. The injured individuals were quickly transported to RUIA Hospital in Tirupati for treatment.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) reported the incident, stating that the stampede took place when devotees began queuing up for darshan tokens ahead of the Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival, which sees significant footfall at the temple.
CM Expresses Deep Sorrow
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his deep condolences over the tragic deaths of the devotees. He spoke to officials regarding the treatment of the injured and instructed them to ensure proper relief measures were in place. He also ordered senior officials to visit the site and oversee the rescue operations.
In response to the gravity of the incident, Tirumala Tirupati Temple Executive Officer, Shyamala Rao, announced that CM Naidu would personally visit Tirupati on January 9, 2025.
The Incident
The stampede occurred when eight counters were set up in Tirupati to distribute tokens for Vaikuntha Ekadashi darshan. The distribution was scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. on January 9, 2025, but devotees began lining up as early as 6 p.m. on January 8. Due to an unexpectedly high number of people, the Vishnu Nivasam area saw an uncontrollable surge of devotees, resulting in the stampede.
The victims, including Malliga (50) from Salem and five other women, have been identified. The injured are being treated at RUIA Hospital (20 patients) and Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) (9 patients).
Cause of the Stampede
According to local police, the chaos began when an employee at the token counter fell ill, and the doors to the counter were opened to take the employee to the hospital. Devotees mistakenly believed the doors were opened for the token distribution, and a rush of people surged forward. Eyewitnesses reported that this led to a stampede as people panicked.
Further Developments
The token distribution for Vaikuntha Darshan for January 10, 11, and 12 has already been scheduled, with a total of 1.20 lakh tokens to be distributed starting Thursday morning. Due to the stampede and crowd control concerns, the distribution for these dates will take place tonight at Vishnunivasam, Srinivasam, and Bhudevi Complexes in Tirupati.of the devotees remain a top priority and are working diligently to prevent further accidents during the ongoing temple celebrations.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.