Andhra government announces Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia for Tirupati stampede victims

The Andhra Pradesh government announced Rs 25 lakh compensation for families of the Tirupati stampede victims. A full investigation has been promised, with strict action against negligence.

In Short

• State government announces Rs 25 lakh for stampede victims
• Strict action promised after a full investigation into negligence
• Ministers visited Tirupati to console families and review tragedy

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced Rs 25 lakh compensation for the families of those who died in a stampede at the Vaikuntha Ekadashi Darshan Token Issuance Center on Wednesday night. A team of ministers visited Tirupati to meet the victims' families and assure them of the government's support.

Home Minister Anitha, Revenue Minister Angani Satya Prasad, Endowments Minister Anam Rama Narayana Reddy, and other senior officials inspected the bodies at Ruia Hospital on Thursday morning. They met grieving families, gathered details about the victims, and announced a thorough investigation into the incident. Strict action will be taken against staff found negligent, with CCTV footage from the token issuance centers under review.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called the stampede "unfortunate" and stated that measures would be implemented to avoid such tragedies. He assured that support would be extended to families in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with officers dispatched to the victims’ hometowns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid his condolences to the relatives of those dead in the incident.

This decision by the state government came after at least six people lost their lives, and several others were injured in a stampede that broke out near Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan ticketing centers in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati on Wednesday.