The stampede at the Venkateswara Temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, has brought into focus three issues that could have worsened the situation, officials say.
According to police officials, “the rush was very high and not enough measures had been made for crowd control”.
Deputy Superintendent of Police for Palasa town, where the temple is located, told The Indian Express that eight women and one child died in the stampede. “The temple is privately owned. Whenever its owners request us to do security arrangements, we post some police there, but today’s rush was extraordinary,” he said.
Officials also said the entry and exit points of the temple were the same. “The sprawling campus of the temple did not have separate entry and exit points. People were trying to leave the spot and enter the premises simultaneously,” a source said.
Third, the temple area where the stampede took place was under construction. “The railings and the structures meant for crowd control appear to have been makeshift. They gave way when the crowd pressed against them,” an official explained.
The Kashibbugga Venkateswara Temple is spread over 12 acres and is visited by devotees from far and wide.
TDP’s Palasa MLA, G Sireesha, also said this temple is privately owned. “It was built several months ago by Mukund Panda, a landlord. He and his family maintain and manage the temple,” Sireesha said.
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Former minister and ex-YSRCP MLA from Palasa, Seediri Appalaraju, claimed that although the temple management informed police that a heavy rush was anticipated due to the auspicious Saturday, there were not enough officials to man the crowds. “Several youths, including YSRCP workers who volunteer at the temple every Saturday, noticed the heavy rush and called the police, but not enough personnel were sent there. The state government should look into this,” he claimed.
The stampede at the Venkateswara Temple is the third such incident this year in the state. On April 30, seven people died and six were injured when a newly constructed rain-soaked wall at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam collapsed. There was a heavy rush that day as it was the auspicious Akshyaya Tritaya festival. The incident occurred at the ticket counter, where a large number of people had gathered, including many who were leaning on the wall.
On January 8, six people were killed and scores injured in a stampede in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh at a counter to distribute tickets for special darshan of Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.
