A tragic stampede at a privately managed temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh claimed the lives of nine devotees — eight women and a 13-year-old boy — and injured more than 25 others on Saturday morning. The incident occurred during Karthika Ekadashi celebrations at the newly built Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga under Palasa mandal, after a railing on a narrow staircase collapsed, triggering panic among a crowd of over 20,000 devotees.
Railing collapse triggered deadly chaos
According to officials, the tragedy unfolded as devotees surged towards the sanctum sanctorum. The railing along the first-floor staircase reportedly gave way, causing a devotee to fall and setting off a chain reaction of panic and crushing.
District police chief K. V. Maheswara Reddy said, “A railing believed to be poorly constructed collapsed, causing a person to fall and triggering chaos as the packed crowd pushed forward.”
The Venkateswara Swamy temple, modelled on the famous Tirumala shrine in Tirupati, was built by 94-year-old Hari Mukund Panda from Odisha and inaugurated just four months ago. With only one gate serving both as entry and exit, lack of crowd management quickly turned the pilgrimage into a deadly stampede.
Temple lacked clearance and crowd control
Authorities confirmed that the shrine had not obtained official clearance from the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department, which regulates temples across the state. On regular Saturdays, around 3,000 devotees visit the temple, but this being the first Karthika Ekadashi since its opening, the crowd swelled to nearly 20,000.
District officials said temple authorities had failed to inform the police or administration in advance about the large gathering. The few private guards deployed were unable to control the surge.
A case has been registered under Section 100 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and four temple staff members have been detained for questioning.
Eyewitness accounts of horror
Many survivors recounted moments of chaos.
“Everything looked fine around 9 am, but suddenly the number of devotees increased sharply. The narrow stairway was packed. I was nearby when the railing broke and people started falling over each other,” said R. Ramanamma, one of the devotees present during the incident.
The deceased were identified as E. Chinnammi (46) and R. Vijaya (48) from Tekkali; M. Neelamma (60) from Vajrapukotturu; D. Rajeswari (60), G. Rupa (50), and B. Brunda from Mandasa; Ch. Yasodamma (56) from Nandigam; D. Ammulamma from Kasibugga; and L. Nikhil (13) from Sompeta. Two women — B. Kalavathi and R. Kumari — remain in critical condition.
Leaders express grief, announce aid
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and promised strict action against those responsible. “Had police been informed in advance, they could have implemented a crowd management plan. Those responsible will face action,” he said.
He added that officials have been instructed to ensure the best medical care for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences, saying he was “pained” by the loss of lives. “My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon,” he said, announcing ₹2 lakh ex gratia for the families of each victim and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Third temple tragedy in Andhra Pradesh this year
This stampede marks the third major temple-related tragedy in the state in 2025. Earlier incidents include the Vaikunta Ekadashi token centre stampede in Tirupati that killed six on January 8, and the Simhachalam temple wall collapse in Visakhapatnam that left seven dead on April 30.
The repeated incidents have raised serious concerns about the management of large religious gatherings and the lack of coordination between private temple administrations and local authorities.
As the state mourns the victims of the Kasibugga tragedy, officials have begun reviewing safety protocols for temples across Andhra Pradesh to prevent another such disaster.