Tirupati Tragedy: Stampede Mars Vaikunth Ekadasi Preparations

As Tirupati prepares for Vaikunth Ekadasi, tragic stampede claims six lives at ticket distribution. Over 40 injured amid efforts to manage large crowds for the festival. Officials investigate, with Chief Minister Naidu visiting affected families and reviewing safety measures. Vaikunth Dwara Darshan to proceed with enhanced security.

In the bustling town of Tirupati, preparations for the sacred festival of Vaikunth Ekadasi were marred by a tragic stampede that claimed six lives and injured over 40 individuals during a ticket distribution event. The mishap occurred as crowds gathered for the Vaikunth Dwara Darshan at Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple.

Tirupati Collector S Venkateswar, addressing the media, assured that elaborate safety measures were implemented and more than 1.2 lakh tickets had been issued. Despite this, a miscommunication over gate openings led to chaos. Police personnel were deployed across ticket counters to maintain order.

In response to the grim incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced his immediate visit to the region to meet the victims' families and oversee the handling of the situation. Additionally, offline tokens for darshan have been distributed at multiple centers to manage the influx of devotees. An inquiry into the cause of the stampede is ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)