A day after six people were killed in a stampede at Tirupati, the Andhra Pradesh government announced a judicial inquiry into the incident. The stampede appears to have been triggered by a policeman's seemingly harmless action of opening a gate to assist a sick woman. The incident occurred while people were waiting to receive tokens for a religious event at the renowned Lord Venkateswara Swamy shrine on Tirumala hills, scheduled for January 10.
In response to complaints from revenue officials, two FIRs have been filed in connection with the Tirupati stampede, which also resulted in dozens of injuries. The FIRs were registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which addresses unnatural deaths, according to a senior police official.
The government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the victims of the stampede, an incident that led Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan to apologize to the nation and the Hindu community. Expressing grief over the Wednesday night incident, Naidu also announced Rs 2 lakh to those injured.
In response to the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held officials accountable, visiting the accident site and meeting with the injured to offer support. Survivors described the terrifying moments of the crowd surge that caused the stampede, with some also expressing frustration over the long waiting hours to obtain tickets for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, scheduled for Friday.
Naidu announced a judicial inquiry into the stampede, and transferred three senior officials including the district Superintendent of Police. One deputy SP, who was on the spot, has been suspended.