Thu Jan 09 20:59:41 UTC 2025: ## Six Dead, Dozens Injured in Stampede at Indian Temple
**TIRUPATI, Andhra Pradesh, India** – At least six devotees were crushed to death and dozens more injured in a stampede Wednesday night outside the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, one of India’s most popular Hindu pilgrimage sites. The incident occurred as thousands of people gathered to obtain free entrance tokens for the temple’s upcoming 10-day festival, beginning Friday.
Witnesses reported a surge in the massive crowd waiting to receive the tokens, leading to the tragic crush. Prem Kumar Jain, spokesman for the ruling Telugu Desam Party, confirmed the deaths and offered condolences. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed intense grief over the incident on X (formerly Twitter), while Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
Authorities had set up distribution counters for the free tokens starting Thursday, but the large number of devotees arriving from across India since Wednesday overwhelmed the system. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about crowd management and safety lapses at major religious gatherings in India. Similar tragedies have occurred in the past, including a deadly stampede in Hathras in 2022 and a fireworks explosion at a temple in Kerala in 2016.
This incident comes just days before the commencement of the Kumbh Mela, a massive six-week Hindu festival expected to draw up to 400 million pilgrims, raising further concerns about safety protocols at large-scale religious events. Investigations into the cause of the stampede are underway.
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