Stampede at Hindu gathering in India claims six lives

At least six people were crushed to death and several others injured in a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in southern India, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when a large crowd had gathered to collect entrance tokens for the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh.

Prem Kumar Jain, spokesman for the ruling Telugu Desam Party, expressed his condolences, stating, “The unfortunate incident has claimed the lives of six devotees. I pray to God to give peace to the departed souls.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his sympathies, stating on social media, “My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones.”

Stampedes are frequent during major religious festivals in India, often attributed to poor crowd management and safety lapses.

In July 2023, 121 people died in a similar incident in Uttar Pradesh during a religious gathering. In 2016, 112 people died in a temple explosion in Kerala due to a banned fireworks display.

The tragedy comes just days before the Kumbh Mela, a massive Hindu festival expected to draw up to 400 million pilgrims, which is set to begin soon.