One in every of India’s wealthiest temples has apologised after six folks have been killed and dozens extra injured in a crush as they queued for tickets to a competition which attracts a whole lot of hundreds every year.
The incident passed off on Wednesday evening after hundreds gathered within the temple city of Tirupati in southern Andhra Pradesh state.
Visuals confirmed a swell of individuals jostling whereas the tickets have been being distributed at counters arrange by temple authorities.
Officers within the state have mentioned strict motion might be taken towards temple workers who’re discovered chargeable for the tragedy.
BR Naidu, chairman of the temple’s belief, mentioned that the crush was brought on by “overcrowding”.
“It’s an unlucky incident,” he instructed native media on Wednesday.
Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a board member of the belief, apologised for the incident.
“To distribute tokens, we opened 91 counters… it’s unlucky that the stampede occurred,” he mentioned. “This has by no means occurred within the historical past of the temple. I sincerely search an apology from the devotees.”
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has expressed his sorrow over the incident – he is because of go to the location in a while Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned he was “pained” by the incident and warranted these affected that the state authorities would provide them “all attainable help”.
The Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh is certainly one of Hinduism’s most sacred shrines. Devoted to Hindu god Sri Venkateswara – popularly referred to as Balaji – the temple owns belongings price tens of billions of {dollars} and is likely one of the richest in India.
It attracts almost 24 million devotees from India and overseas yearly.
Its 10-day Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan is taken into account a extremely auspicious occasion by devotees as they imagine they will get a glimpse of the divine gates of heaven.
A whole bunch of hundreds attend the competition yearly, with the temple saying it was ready to obtain 700,000 folks this time.
On Wednesday, hundreds gathered to obtain tickets for the competition – which begins on 10 January – at greater than 90 counters arrange by the temple.
Because the gates for the counters opened, folks rushed in the direction of the counters, resulting in chaos, an eyewitness instructed the Times of India newspaper, including that there have been simply 4 police personnel there.
A number of experiences say the police had a tough time managing the group.
Authorities say these injured within the crush have been rushed to a government-run hospital for therapy.
Accidents are routinely reported at non secular occasions in India, as enormous crowds collect in tight areas with little adherence to security measures.
Final 12 months, greater than 120 folks have been crushed to death at a spiritual occasion within the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
