Wed Jan 08 21:39:23 UTC 2025: **Six Dead in Tirupati Temple Stampede**
TIRUPATI, INDIA – Six pilgrims died and several others were injured in a stampede at the Tirupati Balaji Temple on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred during the distribution of darshan coupons for Vaikunta Ekadasi, a major religious festival. Despite the presence of 94 counters across nine locations to manage the distribution, the crowd surged at the Vishnu Nivasam coupon distribution counter, overwhelming security measures. A lack of crowd control measures is being cited as a contributing factor to the tragedy. The stampede resulted from people pushing and shoving to obtain coupons. The Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is scheduled for January 10th. Authorities are investigating the incident.
First Piper 