According to eyewitnesses, the railing along the temple stairs collapsed amid heavy pushing and jostling as thousands of devotees gathered for darshan, far exceeding the temple’s capacity. Panic ensued when people began falling over one another, trapping many — particularly women and children — in the chaos. Officials fear the death toll may rise further.
Videos from the site show a massive crowd on the temple steps, with devotees screaming and scrambling for safety as the railing gave way. Several people were seen trying to climb over others to escape, while others attempted CPR on the injured. Women were seen lying unconscious as locals and devotees rushed to carry victims to ambulances and hospitals.
Heavy crowd led to collapse
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anitha said the temple typically sees 1,500–2,000 devotees on weekends, but the Ekadashi turnout was much larger.
“The temple is located on the first floor and has around 20 steps leading up to it. Due to overcrowding, pushing began, the railing broke, and a stampede followed,” she said.
Local authorities and police quickly reached the site to assist in rescue operations and crowd control. The state government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
Ex-gratia announced
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Key details at a glance
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Location: Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh
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Casualties: 10 dead (8 women, 2 children), over 25 injured
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Cause: Collapse of railings due to overcrowding during Ekadashi
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Crowd size: Thousands of devotees, exceeding the temple’s usual capacity
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Response: Police, health officials, and local volunteers carried out rescue operations; investigation underway
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the Ekadashi festivities, with many devotees returning home without darshan as the temple premises were cordoned off for rescue and relief efforts.
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