NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the deaths caused by a stampede near Vishnu Nivasam in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He said that the state government is assisting the victims of the incident.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister’s Office wrote, “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The AP Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM Modi.”
Union home minister Amit Shah also expressed condolences and wished for the recovery of the injured. In his post on X, he wrote, “Pained by the unfortunate incident of the stampede in the Tirupati temple. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. May the injured recover at the earliest. I am deeply shocked by the stampede incident at the Tirupati Vishnu Niwasam ticket counter. I pray for the souls of the devotees who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident to rest in peace. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also expressed his condolences and urged Congress leaders and workers to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time.
According to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials, six people died, and several others were injured after a stampede occurred near Vishnu Nivasam. The incident happened near the ticket counter for ‘darshan’ tokens at Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara.
TTD Chairman BR Naidu’s office released a statement confirming the incident. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is monitoring the situation and will visit the families of the victims on Thursday morning.
The statement said, “It is an unfortunate event, 6 pilgrims lost their lives. So far, only one pilgrim has been identified, while the others are yet to be identified. N Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is very serious about the incident and has expressed dissatisfaction with the officials’ management during a teleconference. The Chief Minister will visit the families of the deceased tomorrow at 11:45 am. CM has warned that such incidents should not be repeated and is closely monitoring updates on the issue.”
