Indian temple stampede kills 10, injures several
New Delhi: A stampede at a temple in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh killed at least 10 people early on Saturday, government officials said, with several injured.
According to Kashmir Media Service, 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.
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.
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.
