Incident Details:
- Location: Vishnu Nivasam ticket counter, Tirupati
- Casualties: 6 people killed, over 20 critically injured
- Cause: Stampede during rush to collect tickets for the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival at Tirumala temple on January 12 (Friday)
Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management )
Context
- The Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is a significant religious event, drawing thousands of devotees for darshan at the Tirumala temple.
- The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) had arranged around 90 ticket counters across Tirupati to manage the crowd.
- Tickets were to be issued from 5 a.m. on Thursday, leading to an overwhelming gathering of devotees the night before.
Chaos and Mismanagement
- Key crowded areas: Vishnu Nivasam, Bairagipatteda, and Ramachandra Pushkarini.
- The crowd management arrangements were inadequate, leading to chaos at the counters.
- Police struggled to control the situation, indicating poor crowd control measures.
Immediate Response
- The injured were taken to Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Hospital for treatment.
- Authorities have yet to identify the victims of the incident.
Government Reaction
- Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and called for:
- Best medical care for the injured
- Strict action against TTD employees found guilty of mismanagement
Concerns Raised
- Lack of crowd control measures despite prior knowledge of the festival’s popularity.
- Inadequate infrastructure and planning by TTD to manage large crowds.
- Potential accountability of TTD employees for negligence in handling the situation.
Way Forward
- Strengthen crowd management protocols during major festivals.
- Introduce online ticketing systems to reduce physical crowding.
- Conduct inquiry to fix accountability and improve future arrangements.
