Nara Lokesh Explains Cause of Srikakulam Temple Stampede, Says ‘Person on Top Tripped’

Nine people lost their lives and several were injured after a stampede broke out at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, during Ekadashi celebrations.

State minister Nara Lokesh said that a sudden surge of devotees and poor crowd control led to the chaos that turned fatal.

Sudden Crowd Rush Turned Fatal

Speaking to reporters, Nara Lokesh explained that an unexpected rise in the number of visitors created panic inside the temple premises. The management, overwhelmed by the crowd, shut the entry point to control movement, but devotees then tried to exit through another route, resulting in suffocation and confusion.

"At 11.30 am, because there was an unknown amount of rush, the entry point was closed. Many people who attended felt that they could use the exit route. That created a lot of suffocation. The entry has steps, so the person on the top tripped and fell; this resulted in a cascading effect. Also, the queue planners were not prepared for such a crowd," Lokesh said.

He added that most of the victims were women and shared details of the immediate response coordinated through a real-time governance group. "We have a WhatsApp group for real-time governance, which also has the disaster management minister. We reached out to the Home Minister. From there, we coordinated the entire rescue operation. We worked exceptionally hard to save as many lives as possible," he noted.

Police and Government Share Incident Details

The Andhra Pradesh government stated that nearly 15,000 people had gathered at the temple when the incident took place. The situation spiraled out of control as devotees surged forward once the temple gates opened, leading to panic and a deadly stampede.

Srikakulam SP KV Maheswara Reddy said structural limitations worsened the situation. "There is only one entry and exit. The incident occurred due to the collapse of an iron grill near the steps. The public, in fear, thought that something was falling and panicked," he explained.

Officials have since begun an inquiry into whether safety protocols and crowd-control measures were adequately followed at the privately run temple.

Opposition Blames Government for Negligence

The tragedy drew strong criticism from YSR Congress Party chief and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Expressing sorrow over the deaths, he accused the state government of repeated lapses in managing large gatherings.

"This repeated loss of innocent lives reflects the inefficiency of Chandrababu Naidu's administration," Reddy said. He recalled earlier stampede incidents, including those during Vaikuntha Ekadasi in Tirupati and at the Simhachalam temple, where several devotees had lost their lives.

Safety Measures Under Review

Following the Srikakulam tragedy, authorities have initiated a comprehensive review of temple safety measures across Andhra Pradesh. The state disaster management team and local police are expected to submit a report suggesting stricter crowd management rules and infrastructure upgrades at major religious sites.

As devotees continue to mourn the loss of lives, questions remain about accountability and the lack of preventive systems that could have averted yet another tragedy during a sacred festival.