Videos Capture Panic As Devotees Struggle To Revive Victims With CPR After Andhra Temple Stampede
As panic spread through the crowd at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam's Kasibugga, several devotees who collapsed were given emergency CPR by worshippers before medical teams arrived.
The chants of devotion at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh turned into cries for help on Saturday as a festive crowd celebrating Ekadashi spiralled into chaos. Within minutes, what began as a surge of worshippers eager for darshan ended in a deadly crush that left at least ten people dead and several others gasping for breath on the temple floor. As panic spread through the crowd, several devotees who collapsed were given emergency CPR by fellow worshippers before medical teams arrived.
Andhra Temple Stampede
Videos from the scene captured moments of urgency and distress — men and women were seen pulling unconscious devotees out of the crush, rubbing their hands and feet, and performing chest compressions in desperate attempts to revive them. In one clip, a man knelt beside a fainted woman, pressing her chest rhythmically as others cleared space around him.
Another video showed a woman sobbing as she tried to wake a relative, imitating CPR movements with trembling hands. According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy unfolded when hundreds of devotees tried to move through a narrow passageway flanked by metal railings. Many women carrying puja baskets were trapped and gasped for air as the crowd surged forward.
Amid the confusion, some devotees climbed railings to rescue those who had fallen, while others formed human chains to pull people to safety. Police officials later confirmed that the stampede occurred around 11:30 a.m. and noted that part of the temple premises was under construction, which contributed to the crowding and made evacuation difficult.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and directed authorities to ensure medical care for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered condolences, saying, “Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon.” He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
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