Tirupati stampede: Andhra Pradesh government to give ₹25 lakh to victims

The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of the six people who died in a stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night, after gates were opened to issue tokens for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam event, beginning Thursday. On Thursday, state revenue minister A Satyaprasad and home minister Anitha Vangalapudi visited the families of those who died and the injured and told them that investigations were underway to determine the cause of the stampede.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a review meeting with Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) chairman BR Naidu, executive officer Shyamala Rao, Tirupathi collector S Venkateswar and district police chief L Subbarayudu, and other officials. The CM sought to know how the TTD and the district administration allowed the tragedy to occur.


Naidu was livid that an assessment of the number of devotees did not follow before the tokens were issued, according to media reports. He asked the TTD authorities to explain to him how they could allow 2,500 devotees when there was space only for 2,000.

The executive officer said there was no congestion and devotees were sitting peacefully. The stampede occurred when they were released in an uncontrolled manner.