Woman dead, son injured in stampede at Pushpa 2 screening

A stampede at a cinema during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule on Wednesday night resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and left her nine-year-old son critically injured.

The incident took place at Sandhya Theatre in Chikkadpally, Hyderabad, where fans had gathered in large numbers to attend the screening of the film starring Allu Arjun. As news spread that Allu Arjun and music director Devi Sri Prasad would be making an appearance, thousands of fans rushed to the theatre, causing chaos as the crowd surged.

“There was no prior notice about their arrival, and no crowd control measures were organised. When fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the stars, the crowd pressure led to the stampede,” said a police official from Chikkadpally.

As the crowd began to spill out of the packed theatre, many were reportedly feeling suffocated.

“The woman succumbed to asphyxiation as there was no immediate medical help. CPR was not administered in time,” said Chikkadpally Assistant Commissioner of Police, L. Ramesh Kumar.

The nine-year-old boy, who was injured in the stampede, was rushed to a private hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Police have said a case will be filed against the theatre management for negligence.

The incident has prompted heavy police deployment at all nearby theatres, with additional officers working to control the crowd at subsequent screenings.

The road leading to the cinema was littered with confetti and discarded slippers, remnants of the chaotic scene.

The incident has raised questions about the management of large crowds at public events, particularly when dealing with such a high level of fan anticipation for a major film release.

“People were not prepared for the large turnout,” an official said. “More must be done in the future to ensure public safety during such events.”