Indian temple stampede kills nine, injures several

As many as 25,000 devotees packed a temple built for 2,000, causing a deadly crush

A stampede at a temple in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh killed at least nine people early on Saturday, government officials said, with several injured.

The stampede occurred as worshippers crowded into the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in the city of Srikakulam on Ekadashi, a day Hindus consider auspicious, said Pawan Kalyan, the state's deputy chief minister.

"An inquiry will be conducted into the tragic incident," Kalyan said in a statement, adding that the temple was run by private individuals. He put the death toll at nine.

As many as 25,000 devotees crowded into the temple, which can accommodate only about 2,000, leading to the crush, state minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy added, while district officials have been told to provide the injured with medical help.

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A total of 18 injuries have been reported so far, the collector and magistrate of Srikakulam district Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said, while two critically injured patients have been moved to a tertiary care hospital for treatment.

The government will pay compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,300) to the families of the dead, and 50,000 rupees ($570) to the injured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.

On September 28, at least 39 people were killed and over 50 injured on Saturday in a stampede at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu said.