The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple, had set up special counters to issue tokens for Lord Venkateswara’s darshan at MGM High School in Bairagipatteda, near Vishnu Nivasam temple.
Thousands of devotees began gathering at these counters early Wednesday morning, and by evening, the situation escalated into chaos and overcrowding before devolving into a stampede that claimed the lives of at least six people — three of them women — and left 30 injured. The injured were taken to the Ruia hospital for treatment.
According to TTD Chairman B R Naidu, the stampede was triggered when a gate was opened to allow an unwell woman to exit. The gathered devotees surged forward all at once, causing the stampede.
The Andhra Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling it a “ghastly tragedy”. He announced an ex-gratia for the families of the deceased and will visit Tirupati on Thursday. The Chief Minister’s Office stated that he is closely monitoring the situation and has directed officials to provide relief measures and ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha contacted Tirupati district Superintendent of Police Subbaraidu and stressed the need for special attention to the safety of women, children, and the elderly amid the large crowds.
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the tragedy and urged the government to ensure proper medical care for the injured. Former TTD chairman Bhuma Karunakar Reddy criticised the state government, blaming the incident on administrative failure.
Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan also expressed his condolences and may join the Chief Minister in visiting Tirupati. IT, Electronics, and Education Minister N Lokesh Naidu said he was “deeply distressed” by the loss of lives in the stampede and called for immediate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is a 10-day special event that attracts lakhs of devotees annually. The stampede occurred while Chief Minister Naidu was in Visakhapatnam, seeing off Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the launch of projects worth over ₹2 lakh crore.
An emergency meeting, chaired by the TTD board chairman, is currently underway in Tirupati to address the incident. Measures are being taken to control the crowd, ensure the safety of devotees, and provide evacuation and medical treatment for those injured.
This tragic incident has cast a shadow over the highly anticipated Vaikunta Ekadasi festivities, raising concerns about crowd management and safety protocols for large-scale religious gatherings.
