Report: Stampede at Temple in Southern India Results in Death of At Least 6 People

NEW DELHI—A temple stampede in southern India resulted in the deaths of at least six people and injuries to dozens on Wednesday, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Temple Chairman B.R. Naidu Naidu stated that the stampede occurred when police opened the temple gates.

Devotees from all over India had gathered for a 10-day festival at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati town, Andhra Pradesh state.

Deadly stampedes are unfortunately common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds are brought together in small areas with poor infrastructure and minimal safety precautions. In July, a stampede in Hathras town resulted in the deaths of at least 116 individuals, mainly women and children, during a religious gathering in northern India.

The state’s top elected official, N. Chandrababu Naidu, expressed deep sorrow over the recent deaths in a social media post.