Authorities said Thursday that thousands of pious Hindus gathered around one of India’s most popular and wealthy temples to obtain free visitation passes, resulting in a stampede that left at least six people dead and 35 injured.
Visits to the god at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, often called Tirupati, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, the scene of Wednesday’s event, are said to be most fortunate between Friday and January 19.
S. Venkateswar, the district collector, or top revenue officer, told reporters Thursday that the stampede started as the gate was unlocked. Approximately 2,500 individuals simply pushed through the fence. Some fell.
He noted that investigators were still attempting to identify the reason of the rush. Admission to the almost 2,000-year-old temple is often available online for $3.50 (300 rupees) per person.
The altercation happened outside a school a few miles from the temple, where state officials had set up counters to give tickets starting Thursday, between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., according to a police complaint.
In footage released by news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, police were seen straining to control the growing mob.
About a dozen of the 35 injured who were transported to the hospital were still receiving treatment, according to Venkateswar, who added that the rush was caused by people who began lining up early for the passes pushing and jostling one another.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the temple’s operator, expressed regret for the tragedy and pledged to take legal action against those found to be at fault.
An important ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, visited some of the hospitalized injured and observed the scene of the stampede.
The state government was held accountable for the incident by the YSR Congress Party, the main opposition party led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu’s predecessor, who described it as an administrative failure.
“My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones,” Modi wrote in a post on X, expressing his condolences.