NEW DELHI — At least ten people were killed and dozens more injured on Saturday after a crowd surge at the Swamy Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, where tens of thousands of devotees had gathered to mark the sacred Hindu fasting day of Ekadashi.
Authorities said the tragedy unfolded when an iron barrier used to control the long lines of worshippers collapsed, triggering panic and chaos among the devotees. “Hundreds had gathered at the temple when the grille gave way, leading to an uncontrollable rush,” senior police officer K. V. Maheswra Reddy told reporters.
The victims included eight women and one child, according to district official Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, who confirmed that two additional victims succumbed to injuries after being hospitalized. At least 16 people remain under treatment for injuries, while 20 others are reportedly in a state of shock and are receiving medical observation.
Video footage broadcast on Indian news channels showed chaotic scenes as bystanders attempted to revive those who had fainted or collapsed. Some devotees could be seen gasping for breath as others tried desperately to pull them to safety.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep condolences to the victims’ families and called for swift assistance to the injured. Naidu also ordered an official inquiry and vowed strict action against those responsible for the tragedy.
Preliminary findings suggest the temple—built on private land spanning 12 acres—was not under government supervision. Officials said the site has a maximum capacity of about 3,000 people, but the crowd swelled to an estimated 25,000 devotees on Saturday. The state’s fact-check unit noted that organizers failed to inform authorities about the scale of the gathering, calling the lack of coordination “the reason for the accident.”
The incident is the latest in a series of deadly crowd surges at religious events in India, where massive congregations frequently overwhelm local infrastructure and security arrangements. In July 2025, a similar stampede at a temple in northern India left six people dead and several others injured.
Saturday’s tragedy has once again raised questions about crowd control and safety preparedness at major religious sites—especially during festivals that draw tens of thousands of worshippers seeking divine blessings.