Srikakulam, Nov 2: Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said that an “unknown amount of rush” at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga led to “a lot of suffocation” and ultimately caused the stampede that claimed nine lives on Sunday. He attributed the tragedy to a lack of crowd management and inadequate planning for the unprecedented turnout of devotees.
Speaking to the media after visiting the injured at a local hospital, Lokesh said, “Today being Ekadashi, pilgrims came in large numbers like never before to seek the Lord’s blessings. This is a private temple with separate entry and exit routes. Around 11:30 a.m., due to heavy rush, the entry gate was closed, and people began using the exit path, which led to suffocation. Someone tripped on the steps, and that caused a cascading fall.”
The Minister, accompanied by Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said most of the victims were women. “It’s a very unfortunate incident. As soon as I was alerted, we coordinated the rescue operation within minutes through our real-time governance system. Despite our best efforts, we lost nine people,” he said.
Lokesh confirmed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced an ex-gratia of ₹15 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹3 lakh for those seriously injured. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared ₹2 lakh for the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
He added that three critically injured persons have been shifted to a super-specialty hospital for advanced treatment. “The government will ensure that all required equipment and medical assistance are provided at their homes if needed. The Chief Minister has directed us to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
Addressing concerns over crowd control, Lokesh clarified that the Kasibugga temple is privately managed and does not come under the state’s Endowments Department. “In temples under the Endowments Board, preventive measures are already in place. However, this tragedy has taught us that even private shrines must have strong SOPs and proper supervision,” he explained.
He admitted that authorities were “caught off guard” by the sheer number of devotees. “Most of the pilgrims were first-timers from different villages. What began as a slow congregation turned into a large, unplanned gathering. Everyone came with devotion, but sadly it ended in tragedy,” Lokesh said.
Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences, saying she was “shocked to learn about the loss of lives” and extended her “deepest sympathies” to the bereaved families.