Nine people, including eight women and a 12-year-old boy, were killed in a stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning. Several people were injured, one of whom is in critical condition. This private temple was opened for devotees only four months ago, and the construction is not complete. 1500 to 2000 devotees come here every Saturday. The accident occurred due to increased crowd on the occasion of Kartiki Ekadashi.

According to the information given by the state Home Minister Vangalpudi Anita, the temple is on the first floor. While a large number of devotees were going up the stairs, the steel grill near the stairs broke. Due to this, the devotees fell on each other and a stampede broke out. The situation worsened as there is only one entrance to enter and exit the temple.

This accident caused great panic among the devotees. Immediate treatment has been started for the injured. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Since the construction of the temple is incomplete and only one entrance is used, such accidents are likely to happen. The administration has taken serious note of this incident and further investigation is underway.