Stampede at Andhra Pradesh Venkateswara Temple Kills Nine During Ekadashi
A stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Andhra Pradesh, on November 1, 2025, during the Ekadashi festival led to at least nine deaths and several injuries. The surge of 25,000 devotees overwhelmed the temple, causing a railing to give way and triggering the deadly crush. This is the third fatal stampede in Andhra Pradesh this year, highlighting systemic issues with crowd management and planning.
On November 1, 2025, a tragic stampede erupted at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, as an extraordinary crowd of approximately 25,000 devotees gathered for the Ekadashi festival, far exceeding the usual 10,000–15,000. The temple, known as 'Chinna Tirupati,' was unprepared for this influx, with structural weaknesses such as a railing failure in the darshan queue leading to people falling and a domino effect of crushing. At least nine people, including two children, died, and many were injured in the chaos. Temple and police authorities blamed each other for inadequate arrangements, and an investigation is ongoing. This incident is part of a wider pattern in Andhra Pradesh and India, where large-scale gatherings at religious sites, festivals, and sporting events frequently result in deadly stampedes due to poor crowd control, underestimation of crowd sizes, infrastructural flaws, and societal disregard for regulations. Previous fatal stampedes include a wall collapse at Simhachalam temple and a ticket queue crush at Tirupati earlier in 2025. Experts note that dense crowds facilitate rapid emotional transmission and can lead to compressive asphyxia and trampling deaths. The National Crime Records Bureau reports over 3,000 stampede deaths in India since 2000, pointing to the recurring nature of this hazard. Unlike in some other countries, India often lacks effective remedial responses to prevent repeat tragedies. The Chief Minister has ordered a probe while rescue operations continue, and the event has reignited calls for improved crowd safety measures at major public and religious gatherings.
