Andhra Pradesh CM visits stampede site

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday visited the accident site where a stampede claimed six lives and injured many.

Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills.

Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.

Accompanied by several ministers, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials and others, the CM inspected the makeshift arrangements made to handle the multitudes of crowds arriving for the pilgrimage.

At the stampede site, Naidu demanded answers from TTD joint executive officer (health & education) M Gowthami over the incident.

Later, he is scheduled to visit the injured devotees at Ruia and Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) hospitals.