Andhra Temple Horror: 9 Dead in Stampede, Negligence & Politics Blamed

A Special Report on the tragic stampede at the private Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, where nine devotees, including eight women and a child, lost their lives. The YSRCP has slammed the incident, with a leader stating, 'This is a grave indictment of governments priorities and failures.' The tragedy unfolded on the auspicious day of Ekadashi, when a crowd of over 20,000 thronged the under-construction temple which had a single narrow entry and exit point and had not informed authorities about the event. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced an inquiry, while his son, Minister Nara Lokesh, visited the site and announced a compensation of ₹15,00,000 for the victims' kin. The incident has sparked a political firestorm, with the opposition YSRCP blaming the TDP government's negligence for the disaster.