Nine Dead After Stampede at Hindu Temple in South India

At least nine people were killed and dozens injured when a mob stormed a popular Hindu temple in South India, local authorities said Saturday.

Senior police official K.V. Maheshwar Reddy told The Associated Press that the incident occurred at the Swami Venkateswara Temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, where hundreds of devotees had gathered to mark Ekadashi, one of the holy days in Hinduism.

On this day, devotees observe a fast and worship Lord Vishnu, a major Hindu deity.

Reddy said preliminary investigations indicate that an iron grille installed to maintain the queue of devotees at the temple broke, causing the crowd to spiral out of control.

Senior local government official Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said more casualties were feared. "Initially, we had received reports of seven deaths, but two more have died, while two others are in critical condition," he said.

Pundkar said the dead included eight women and a child. He said at least 16 devotees injured by the mob were being treated at a local hospital, while 20 others were in a state of shock and under observation at another hospital.

Video footage broadcast on local media showed people rushing to help those who fainted and were having trouble breathing in the crowd. Some were even seen rubbing the hands of those who had fallen to the ground.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh's highest elected official, N. Chandrababu Naidu, expressed their condolences and extended their sympathies to the bereaved families.

Andhra Pradesh state officials stated that the site was a private temple built on 12 acres of land and not under the control of the government administration. Despite its maximum capacity of 3,000, the crowd swelled to approximately 25,000 on Saturday. 

The state's fact-finding unit said in a statement on social media, "Neither proper arrangements were made nor was any information provided to the government by the concerned person. This is the cause of the accident." 

According to local media, Naidu vowed strict action against those responsible for the deadly stampede and ordered an investigation into the incident. 

Crowds are not uncommon during religious gatherings in India, often drawing large numbers of people to temples or pilgrimage sites, sometimes overwhelming local infrastructure and security.

In July, at least six people were killed and dozens injured when a crowd gathered at a popular Hindu temple in northern India.