TIRUPATI: At least six devotees died and dozens were injured in a stampede here on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, said an official.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu said one body has been identified.
"A DSP opened the gates…and immediately everybody pushing ahead led to this stampede and reports are emerging that six persons died," Naidu told a vernacular news channel.
Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.
"A few devotees dying in a stampede near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati while trying for Vaikuna Dwara Darsanam has grieved me intensely," said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a post on 'X'.
According to the TTD Chairman, Naidu conducted a teleconference and expressed dissatisfaction over the temple employees and said such an incident was unfortunate.
There is some suspicion that it happened due to (the temple) administration, he said and added that the CM is coming to Tirupati on Thursday to comfort the injured persons.
"The CM directed us that these kinds of incidents should not recur", he said.
"Taking this as a lesson, it is incumbent upon all of us to avert these kinds of incidents in the future," said Naidu, adding the CM will announce ex–gratia on Thursday.
Terming the stampede as unfortunate, TTD board member Bhanu Prakash sought the forgiveness of Srivari (Lord Venkateswara Swamy) devotees over the incident.
There was some lacuna and stringent action will be taken but lost lives cannot be brought back, he said.
Videos of police personnel administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on a couple of woman devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances went viral.