Stampede at Hindu Temple in India Claims Six Lives
Jakarta, CNN – A tragic stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in India has claimed the lives of at least six devotees, with several others sustaining injuries. The incident occurred during a crowded religious event at the Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh state.
The stampede happened as thousands of devotees rushed to collect entrance tokens for the temple on Wednesday (8/1) local time. According to AFP, the crush was exacerbated by overcrowding and poor crowd management.
"Such a tragic incident… has claimed the lives of six devotees. I convey my deepest condolences to the bereaved families," said spokesperson for Telugu Desam Party, the ruling party in the state, Prem Kumar Jain.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sympathies, "My thoughts are with those who lost their dear ones. The incident is deeply distressing," he posted on social media platform X.
Sadly, deadly stampedes during religious festivals are not uncommon in India. In July 2022, at least 121 people were killed in a stampede at a Hindu festival in Uttar Pradesh. And in 2016, 112 people died at a temple in Kerala after a banned fireworks show went awry.
The recent stampede occurred just days before the start of Kumbh Mela, a six-week Hindu pilgrimage and bathing festival expected to draw up to 400 million people.
