Tirupati stampede survivors recall horror: ‘For 5 mins, we thought all of us were dead’

They also complained of long waiting hours to get tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which they attributed to the sudden opening of the gates, which prompted the crowd to surge ahead.

“For five minutes, we thought all of us were dead. I have been coming to the temple for the past 25 years and it has never happened like this,” D Venkata Lakshmi told a local news channel, according to PTI.

She said that people rushed forward and up to 10 fell down where she stood.

Also Read | Tirupati stampede: Video shows scores jostling during ticket distribution

“Though I was raising a hue and cry that I was falling on the side, people were still rushing from behind and could not be controlled. I don’t know if they were pushing ahead, but the men were uncontrollable. People were walking over devotees. I could not even breathe for a long time,” she said.

She also alleged that the disaster could have been averted if the police had allowed devotees to proceed in an orderly way.

Also Read | Moments leading up to Tirupati stampede that claimed 6 lives; TTD apologises

Another devotee said she came around 11 am on Wednesday and the gate was opened at 7 pm. “One person told devotees not to rush and go in a line, but who will listen. Police were outside, not inside,” she said.

A male devotee claimed that police opened the gates suddenly, leading to the stampede.

Tirupati stampede

At least six people were killed and nearly 40 others injured after a stampede broke out near Tirupati’s Vishnu Nivasam during the distribution of Vaikunta Dwara Sarva Darshan tokens on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when hundreds of devotees jostled for tickets for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which begins on January 10.

Visuals at the time of the incident showed a sea of people struggling to find space, with police officials trying to manage the overcrowding at Vishnu Nivasam.

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