Police bar entry at Kasibugga temple after 9 deaths

The Andhra Pradesh police have taken the serious step of barring devotees from entering the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga town, located in the Srikakulam district, following a tragic incident that claimed nine lives. The deadly crush occurred during a religious gathering on Saturday, when a sudden accident led to multiple fatalities and injuries. Among the deceased were eight women and a young boy, with many others suffering from fractures and breathing difficulties, requiring hospitalisation. According to accounts from survivors, the tragedy unfolded when the lone entrance gate to the temple was closed unexpectedly. Earlier, a group of devotees who had been allowed inside for darshan fell along with a broken grill onto a large crowd waiting below the staircase. This sudden collapse caused panic and chaos, resulting in the fatal stampede. The police superintendent of Srikakulam district, KV Maheshwara Reddy, confirmed that entry to the temple has been prohibited as a precautionary measure until further notice. Following the incident, nine bodies were taken for postmortem examinations and later returned to their families. Two people who suffered serious injuries have now been reported stable, while others have been discharged from the hospital. The investigation revealed that the temple organizers failed to comply with several critical safety protocols. Notably, they did not seek the mandatory permissions nor did they request police protection for managing the crowd during the religious event. The police have emphasized that it is compulsory for temples or any religious institutions to inform the authorities in advance to ensure proper crowd control, regardless of the expected attendance. Moreover, the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple operates as a private establishment and was reportedly functioning without necessary approvals. This lack of regulatory compliance may have contributed to the inability to manage the large gathering safely. In the wake of the tragedy, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities are now focusing on both the legal and procedural aspects to hold responsible parties accountable. For now, devotees will have to stay away from the temple until the police deem it safe for reopening. This heartbreaking event has brought attention to the importance of stringent crowd management and adherence to safety norms at religious sites, which often witness large influxes of visitors. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the consequences when protocols are neglected, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory oversight and preparedness to avoid similar disasters in the future.