Grief-stricken families perform last rites of nine persons who died in temple stampede in Srikakulam district

With inconsolable grief and amid loud sobs, the family members on Sunday performed the last rites of the nine persons who were killed in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara temple at Kasibugga in Srikakulam district on Saturday.

There was a pall of gloom at villages such as Rameswaram, Sivaramapuram, and Pittala Sariya, where the deceased hailed from.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Minister of Agriculture Kinjarapu Atchannaidu consoled the grief-stricken families on Sunday, while assuring that the government would take care of them in the future.

They also handed over ₹15 lakh to each of the families as ex gratia from the State government, and assured them that the ₹2 lakh ex gratia announced by the Union government from the PM Relief Fund would be given to them soon.

The Ministers further said that the 25 injured persons were being provided state-of-art healthcare at various hospitals.

‘Guidelines soon’

Addressing the media at Nandigama, Mr. Rammohan Naidu said the government would soon come out with guidelines in crowd management at all the temples.

Meanwhile, District Collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar and MLA Gondu Shankar handed over cheques for ₹3 lakh to each of the injured admitted to the GEMS Hospital at Ragole village.

Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy visited the temple and enquired about the reasons for the stampede.

Temple development

Addressing the media later, he said a committee had been constituted to inquire into all aspects of the incident. “Though trustee Hari Mukund Panda’s efforts in constructing the temple are laudable, ignoring the safety of devotees on Karteeka Ekadashi caused immense agony for many,” Mr. Ramanarayana Reddy said, and assured that the government would take steps for the development of the temple after eliciting the opinion of Agama Shastra experts.

He further said there would be no darshan of the presiding deity at the temple for a few weeks. “As per the temple traditions, special rituals will be performed as per Agama Shastra before reopening the temple for devotees,” he added.

Meanwhile, BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav, Anakapalle MP C.M. Ramesh, and Etcherla MLA N. Eswara Rao consoled the injured persons at the Palasa area hospital.

YSRCP leader Dharmana Krishnadas appealed to the government to increase the ex gratia to ₹25 lakh to each of those killed and ₹5 lakh for each of tho injured.