A tragic stampede at the Kasibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh has resulted in the deaths of ten people, including nine women and a 12-year-old boy. Two additional individuals suffered serious injuries and have been taken to the Srikakulam RIMS for treatment.

Expressing her deep shock over the incident, Andhra Pradesh State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha addressed the media and confirmed that she has instructed senior police officials, including the Superintendent of Police, to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the tragedy.

Minister Anitha described the incident as highly unfortunate, noting that the temple, which had reopened just four months ago, experienced a surge in visitors due to the Ekadashi festival on Saturday. The stampede reportedly occurred when devotees were attempting to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Eyewitnesses indicated that the calamity was triggered by a railing that broke as people climbed the stairs to the temple, leading to chaos and the tragic loss of life.

In response to the incident, Home Minister Anitha stated that the Director General of Police, Harish Kumar Gupta, has already ordered a comprehensive investigation. She emphasised that strict measures will be implemented to prevent future occurrences of such tragedies.