At least 10 devotees, mostly women and children, lost their lives in the Venkateswara Swamy Temple tragedy at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, early Saturday morning. The stampede occurred during Ekadashi celebrations at the Kasibugga temple when massive crowds gathered for early morning prayers. Overcrowding on the temple staircase led to chaos as devotees tried to move ahead. Several people were injured and rushed to nearby hospitals as police and rescue teams brought the situation under control.
#KasibuggaStampede (#TempleStampede):
At least 9 people were Feared Dead in a #Stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in #Kasibugga (#Palasa), #Srikakulam district, #AndhraPradesh, today.
Devotees had arrived at the temple (one year old) for darshan on Ekadashi in the… pic.twitter.com/ir32jNgWZI
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) November 1, 2025
Venkateswara Swamy Temple Tragedy
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep grief over the incident, calling it “heartbreaking”, and directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan assured a thorough inquiry into the cause of the stampede and said immediate relief operations were underway. The temple, not managed by the state’s endowments department, reportedly had no prior coordination with local authorities despite the heavy festive turnout.
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu tweets, “The stampede incident at the Venkateswara Temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district has caused a shock. The death of devotees in this tragic incident is extremely heartbreaking… I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and… https://t.co/SSHk4CGOnO pic.twitter.com/UdbrlEKKZ1
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2025
PM Announces Compensation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those who died in the Venkateswara Swamy Temple tragedy and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended condolences and urged strict safety measures at major temples. State Minister Nara Lokesh visited the site and assured full support for the affected families. Authorities have been directed to strengthen crowd management and security measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 1, 2025
