Tirupati: During Wednesday night's Tirumala temple darshan ticket sale in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, a stampede at three locations claimed the lives of six devotees and injured a few more.
On Thursday morning, Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets were supposed to be distributed at three locations when the tragedy happened.
A large number of devotees had gathered to stand in queues for special darshan tickets, leading to the stampede.
Three women were among six devotees killed in the incident. One of the deceased women was from Tamil Nadu.
Some others fell unconscious and they were shifted to Ruia Hospital.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the famous Tirumala temple, announced that special darshan tickets will be issued at 94 counters at nine places in Tirupati from 5 a.m. on Thursday.
However, a large number of devotees started gathering on Wednesday morning. There was chaos when devotees were allowed at the counters. They pushed each other to surge forward, resulting in the stampede.
According to officials, there was a stampede at Srinivasam, Bairagipatteda, and Satyanarayanapuram.
Police and TTD officials rushed to the spot and launched rescue and relief operations.
The TTD was planning to issue 1.20 lakh tokens on Thursday morning for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan on January 10, 11, and 12.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed shock over the death of four devotees in the stampede.
In a statement he said that he was pained over the incident. The Chief Minister spoke to officials over the phone and directed them to ensure the best treatment for those injured.
He asked senior officials to visit the scene and undertake relief operations. He was in touch with the district officials and TTD authorities to monitor the situation.
YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has also expressed shock over the death of four devotees in the stampede.
With inputs from IANS