Thu Jan 09 05:10:57 UTC 2025: ## Six Pilgrims Killed in Tirupati Temple Stampede During Vaikuntha Ekadashi
**TIRUPATI, INDIA** – Six pilgrims died and several others were injured in a stampede at a token distribution center near the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday. The incident occurred during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival, a major pilgrimage event.
Thousands of devotees had gathered at the Ramanayudu School near Bairagipatteda, believing it to be less crowded than other token distribution centers. However, the area became severely overcrowded by night, forcing authorities to temporarily hold pilgrims in the nearby Sri Padmavathi Park.
Around 8:20 PM, when pilgrims were being allowed into the queue lines, a stampede erupted, resulting in several deaths and injuries. Authorities immediately suspended the entry of pilgrims and initiated rescue operations, transporting the injured to hospitals.
Criticism has been leveled at authorities for the lack of adequate crowd control measures at the Ramanayudu School distribution center. While barricades were erected at other centers, reports suggest that despite instructions from senior officers, these were not implemented at the site where the stampede occurred. This, combined with the decision to release a large number of pilgrims from the park simultaneously, is being blamed for the tragedy. Despite prior planning meetings between TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) and police for a week leading up to the event, the measures proved insufficient.
In contrast, a similar token distribution center in Satyanarayana Puram, Jivakona, successfully managed the crowd by limiting entries to 500 pilgrims at a time, overseen by SP Subbarayudu. This prevented a similar incident there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi expressed their condolences, while the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh expressed anger at the officials responsible. An investigation into the incident is underway.
First Piper 