Published on: Nov 1, 2025 | 9:26 PM IST

Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a series of heartbreaking tragedies this year, with 22 people losing their lives and nearly 100 others injured in three major temple-related accidents across the state. The latest mishap at the Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, on Saturday added to the growing list of calamities that have cast a dark shadow over the state’s spiritual and cultural landscape.

Kasibugga temple tragedy claims nine lives

The most recent incident occurred at the Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga town, where a staircase railing collapsedamid a heavy rush of devotees. The accident took place during a religious gathering on Saturday, leaving nine people dead and more than two dozen others injured.

According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of devotees had gathered at the temple premises for a special puja when the railing gave way under pressure, causing people to tumble onto each other in a tightly packed crowd. Panic ensued as worshippers struggled to escape the crush, with rescuers later pulling out several victims from the heap.

Emergency teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, while police and district officials began investigations into possible lapses in crowd management and structural safety. Preliminary reports suggest that poor maintenance of the railing and overcrowding during the ritual were major contributing factors.

Simhachalam temple wall collapse in April

The Kasibugga tragedy followed an earlier disaster in April 2025, when seven devotees were killed and several others injured at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Simhachalam, near Visakhapatnam. In that incident, a rain-soaked wall within the temple complex collapsed due to heavy downpours, trapping devotees beneath the debris.

Rescue teams worked through the night to recover bodies and assist the injured, as questions were raised about the structural integrity of heritage buildings and the lack of preventive safety measures during the monsoon season.

Temple authorities later admitted that drainage blockages and erosion caused by persistent rainfall had weakened the wall’s foundation, resulting in its sudden collapse. The tragedy prompted a review of safety standards across major religious sites in the state, though officials admitted that enforcement had been inconsistent.

Tirupati stampede in January

The first major temple tragedy of 2025 struck in January, when a stampede at Bairagi Patteda in Tirupati claimed six lives and injured nearly 40 others. The stampede occurred when hundreds of devotees rushed to obtain tickets for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple on Tirumala hills — one of the most visited shrines in the world.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as the crowd surged forward in the early morning hours, with insufficient barricades and limited police presence exacerbating the situation. Despite the swift intervention of temple staff and the Tirupati police, several devotees were crushed in the stampede.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board later issued a statement expressing regret and announced compensation for the victims’ families, while vowing to strengthen crowd control and ticket distribution mechanisms.

A devastating week for Andhra Pradesh

The latest temple disaster comes at the end of a particularly catastrophic week for Andhra Pradesh, which has been reeling under multiple crises.

In the last week of October, the state endured a bus inferno in Kurnool district, where 19 passengers were burnt to death after a private sleeper bus caught fire on a highway. The same week, the cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ ravaged coastal districts, inflicting a loss of ₹5,244 crore and displacing thousands of people.

Now, the Srikakulam temple tragedy has compounded the state’s grief, marking one of the deadliest and most turbulent weeks in recent memory. Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed deep sorrow over the successive disasters and directed officials to ensure immediate relief, medical care, and safety audits at all major temples.

Recurring safety concerns

The three temple accidents this year have reignited public debate over safety and crowd management in places of worship, especially in Andhra Pradesh, where religious tourism draws millions annually. Experts say that infrastructure shortcomings, overcrowding, and lack of strict oversight continue to pose risks to devotees.

Crowd management experts and urban planners have pointed out that many popular temples lack emergency exits, adequate barriers, and load-tested structures capable of withstanding surges during major festivals. Several have urged the state government to introduce mandatory safety certifications for all large religious gatherings.

A senior district official from Srikakulam admitted that Saturday’s incident could have been prevented. “We had warned of overcapacity concerns during the puja. Unfortunately, the crowd exceeded the temple’s safe limit,” he said.

Government response and next steps

In the wake of the Kasibugga tragedy, the state government has ordered a comprehensive safety audit of all major religious and heritage sites. Officials have also been asked to submit reports on crowd management protocols, structural stability checks, and emergency preparedness plans.

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has announced ex-gratia compensation for the victims’ families and free medical treatment for the injured. District collectors have been directed to personally supervise the implementation of safety measures and review temple infrastructure in coordination with local municipal authorities.

Religious endowment boards have also been instructed to develop contingency plans for large gatherings and to ensure the presence of trained disaster response teams during key events.

A year marked by tragedy

The string of temple accidents in 2025 — from Tirupati to Simhachalam and Kasibugga — has made it one of the deadliest years for devotees in Andhra Pradesh’s recent history. Combined with natural disasters and transport accidents, the state has faced an unprecedented series of crises that have tested its emergency response systems and administrative capacity.

While devotees continue to visit shrines in faith, the repeated tragedies have underscored an urgent need for reforms in safety infrastructure, better regulation of temple management, and greater accountability from authorities tasked with protecting pilgrims.

As Andhra Pradesh mourns its dead and tends to its wounded, the message is clear — devotion cannot come at the cost of safety, and the state must act decisively to prevent more sacred spaces from turning into sites of sorrow.