Tirupati Stampede: Six Dead, 40 Injured During Token Distribution for Vaikuntha Darshan

Tirupati Stampede: A tragic stampede near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati claimed six lives and left at least 40 others injured during the distribution of tokens for Vaikuntha Dwara Sarvadarshanam, a special 10-day darshan scheduled to begin on Friday. The incident occurred on Wednesday night as a large gathering of devotees surged, leading to chaos and loss of life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, assuring all possible assistance to those affected. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister’s Office said, “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon.

The Andhra Pradesh Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.” President Droupadi Murmu also expressed her grief, extending her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the swift recovery of the injured.

Distressed to know that a stampede in Tirupati led to loss of life of many devotees. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for speedy recovery of the injured.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 9, 2025

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep distress over the incident and criticized the lack of preparedness by authorities for the large crowd.

తిరుమల శ్రీవారి వైకుంఠ ద్వార దర్శనం టోకెన్ల కోసం తిరుపతిలోని విష్ణు నివాసం దగ్గర జరిగిన తోపులాటలో పలువురు భక్తులు మృతి చెందడం దిగ్భ్రాంతిని కలిగించింది. టోకెన్ల కోసం భక్తులు పెద్ద ఎత్తున తరలివచ్చిన సందర్భంలో చోటుచేసుకున్న ఈ విషాదకర ఘటన నన్ను తీవ్రంగా కలిచివేసింది. మరి కొందరి…

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) January 8, 2025

He questioned why adequate arrangements were not made to manage the surge of devotees, especially during such a significant religious occasion. After holding a review meeting with senior officials, including DGP, TTD EO, District Collector, and SP, the Chief Minister announced his plan to visit Tirupati to personally meet the injured and oversee relief work.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also sent condolences, stating the accident as so devastating. He directed party leaders and workers to provide every kind of possible help to the grieved families and injured people.

The tragic stampede in Tirupati is deeply saddening.

My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing a swift recovery to all those injured.

I urge Congress leaders and workers to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 8, 2025

Former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also showed their shock over this tragedy and sought prayers for those who lost their lives and relief for those who were injured. The dead include a woman named Mallika from Tamil Nadu’s Salem district.

Social media is flooded with videos of the stampede scenes, where the chaos and panic that caused the stampede can be clearly seen. Injured people are being taken to Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati for treatment.

The incident has once again brought to the fore the urgent need for better crowd management and preparedness during large-scale religious events. As investigations continue into the causes of the stampede, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of ensuring safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.