On the morning of Saturday, 1 November 2025, a major crowd-surge / stampede occurred at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.
At least 9 people died (including eight women and one boy) and dozens more were injured. The rush was on the day of the sacred observance of Karthika Ekadashi, which brought large numbers of devotees to the temple.
The temple reportedly had a capacity for only about 2,000-3,000 persons, but on the day of the incident around 15,000-25,000 devotees had gathered. The temple is privately managed and reportedly not under the state’s Endowments Department control—raising questions about oversight and mandatory safety approvals. Entry and exit arrangements were inadequate: The same route was reportedly used for both entering and exiting, causing congestion and inability to disperse the crowd in time. A structural failure triggered the surge: reports indicate that a railing or grille in the queue area gave way, causing those ahead to fall and triggering a chain reaction
The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Prime Minister and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister expressed condolences; compensation has been announced for victims and injured. This isn’t the first such incident in Andhra Pradesh this year; previous stampedes have prompted discussions about crowd control and safety at religious sites.
