Andhra Pradesh govt announces Rs 25 lac ex-gratia to next of kin of deceased in stampede in Tirupati

Tirupati (AP): The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced an ex-gratia Rs 25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased in the stampede that occurred at the centres set for distributing of free darshan tokens for Vaikunta Ekadasi darshan in Tirupati.

State Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad, who is in charge of Tirupati district, visited the SVIMS hospital along with his cabinet colleagues Vangalapudi Anitha (Home), Anam Ramanarayana Reddy (Endowments), Nimmala Rama Naidu (Irrigation) and K. Parthasarathy (I&PR) and announced ex-graia on the behalf of the state.

Based on a complaint on the stampede made by the Narayanavanam Tahsildar, the Tirupati East Police station has been registered under section 194 of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita.

Six people including five women were killed and 40 injured in the tragic incident that occurred in Tirupati on Wednesday night.

Of the deceased, three women from Visakhapatnam, one each from from Narasaraopet,Tamil Nadu and Kerala.The incident occurred when hundreds of devotees rushed to get their tickets as soon as the counters opened for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu said the DSP opened the gates and the devotees rushed, leading to the stampede. Lakhs of devotees show up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which will commence from January 10.

Home Minister Anita announced that authorities are investigating the possibility of a conspiracy relating to the stampede, promising strict action against those found responsible for the tragedy.

She also warned of potential consequences for individuals whose negligence may have contributed to the chaos.

Minister Anam Rama Narayana Reddy confirmed that the bodies of the deceased would be transported to their native places after completion of postmortems.

He also stated that efforts are underway to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured devotees admitted at government Ruia Hospital and SWIMS Hospital here.Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is expected to arrive in Tirupati shortly to console the deceased families and visit the government hospitals here, where injured devotees are undertaking treatment.