Kasibugga Tragedy: 9 dead, several injured in stampede at Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam
The temple is privately managed, not registered under the Endowments Department
By - Sri Lakshmi Muttevi
Srikakulam: A tragic incident occurred at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, where a massive crowd had gathered for Ekadashi darshan. A stampede broke out amid the heavy rush, leaving nine people feared dead and around 25 others injured.
Coinciding with Ekadashi and Saturday, there was huge crowd. The incident happened when the railing of the temple fell down while the crowd was climbing steps.
Rescue teams and police reached the spot immediately, and an inquiry has been launched into possible lapses in crowd management. All the injured have been shifted to RIMS, Srikakulam, and Palasa government hospital.
Minister Nara Lokesh, who oversees the RTGS department, is monitoring the situation and will visit the site to ensure swift relief measures.
According to preliminary reports :
The temple where the tragedy occurred was built a few years ago on 12 acres of land at a cost of ₹20 crore. It began operations in May 2025 and is privately managed, not registered under the Endowments Department.
The organizers reportedly conducted the event without obtaining the necessary permissions or informing the State Government.
Authorities also noted that the temple premises were still under construction and that the same route was being used for both entry and exit, which worsened the chaos and contributed to the mishap.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu expressed that the death of devotees in this tragic incident is extremely heartbreaking.
"I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to those who have been injured. I have requested the local officials and public representatives to visit the site of the incident and oversee the relief measures." he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who lost their lives in the Srikakulam temple tragedy. Those injured in the incident will receive ₹50,000 each as assistance.
Responding to the incident, Temple administrator Harimukund Panda stated that he had not anticipated such a massive turnout. “Usually, around two thousand devotees visit the temple. I only planned to distribute prasad and send them. I never expected such a large crowd, so I did not inform the police,” he said.
District Collector and SP spoke with Harimukund Panda at the temple and later visited the hospital where the injured are being treated. Meanwhile, police have taken control of the temple premises.
