At least 6 die in a stampede at a temple in southern India, a report says

2025-01-10 03:56:00

Abstract: A stampede at an Indian temple killed at least 6, injuring dozens, during a festival gathering. Police opening gates triggered the chaos. Similar incidents are common during Indian religious events.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India, a stampede at the entrance of a temple in southern India on Wednesday resulted in the death of at least six people and injuries to dozens more. Hundreds of people had gathered at the location, leading to chaotic scenes.

The news agency quoted temple chairman B.R. Naidu as saying that the stampede occurred when police opened the temple gates. Devotees from all over India had gathered at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in the town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to participate in a ten-day festival.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common during religious festivals in India. These festivals often see large crowds gathering in confined areas with poor infrastructure and inadequate safety measures. In July this year, at least 116 people, mostly women and children, died in a stampede inside a tent during a religious gathering in the northern Indian town of Hathras, where thousands had congregated.

The state's top elected official, N. Chandrababu Naidu, posted on X, expressing that the latest deaths had "caused me great anguish."