Thu Jan 09 14:19:05 UTC 2025: ## Tirupati Stampede Claims Life of Keralite Woman; Government Faces Backlash
**TIRUPATI, INDIA** – A stampede at the Tirupati Venkateswara Temple during the distribution of Vaikuntha Ekadashi tokens resulted in the death of six people, including a woman from Palakkad, Kerala. Nirmula, a resident of Vannamala, Palakkad, was among those killed in the crush. Her family has travelled to Tirupati to bring her body back home.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism, with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and local police facing accusations of inadequate crowd control measures. Both the TTD chairman and the district police chief admitted to insufficient police presence at the token distribution site.
The stampede occurred on Tuesday when a large crowd gathered to receive the tokens. A six-member group, including Nirmula and her relatives, arrived in Tirupati that day.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu visited Tirupati, meeting with the victims’ families and those injured. He held discussions with police and TTD officials and announced a compensation of 25 lakh rupees to each of the six families.
Opposition parties have severely criticized the state government for its alleged negligence in preventing the tragedy. The incident has raised serious questions about crowd management strategies at the highly popular temple.
First Piper 