Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, which claimed six lives and left several others injured.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister’s Office shared PM Modi’s condolences: “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The Andhra Pradesh Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed shock and grief over the incident. Offering his condolences to the bereaved families, Shah said, “Pained by the unfortunate incident of the stampede in the Tirupati temple. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. May the injured recover at the earliest. I pray for the souls of the devotees who lost their lives to rest in peace and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening near the Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara ticketing counter, close to Vishnu Niwasam, during the distribution of ‘darshan’ tokens. Officials from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) reported that the crowd surged, leading to chaos and tragedy.
According to TTD Chairman BR Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is closely monitoring the situation. In a statement, the Chairman’s office confirmed, “This is an unfortunate event. Six pilgrims lost their lives, and only one has been identified so far. The Chief Minister has expressed dissatisfaction with the management and has instructed officials to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The Chief Minister is scheduled to meet the victims’ families on Thursday morning at 11:45 a.m. and has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident. He assured that updates are being closely monitored and emphasized that steps will be taken to avoid such tragedies in the future.
The incident has raised concerns about crowd control and safety measures during large gatherings at the Tirupati temple, one of India’s most visited pilgrimage sites. Authorities are working to provide medical care to the injured and address the situation.
