Three Major Temple Tragedies Kill 22, Injure Nearly 100 Across Andhra Pradesh in 2025

Andhra Pradesh: In what has become one of the most devastating years for temple-goers in recent Memory, the southern Indian state has been rocked by multiple tragedies inside sacred premises. The latest incident occurred on Saturday at the Venkateswara Temple in Kasibugga town of Srikakulam district, where a massive crowd surge led to the collapse of a staircase railing, resulting in nine deaths and leaving nearly two dozen devotees injured.

This marks the third major temple-related accident in Andhra Pradesh in 2025, bringing the cumulative death toll to 22 and injuring close to 100 people. The series of incidents have raised serious concerns about temple safety management, crowd control, and infrastructure maintenance at major pilgrimage centers.

Timeline of the 2025 Temple Tragedies in Andhra Pradesh

The recent spate of accidents has drawn attention to the vulnerability of heavily visited temples during festive and auspicious periods. Each of the three incidents reveals different failures – from weak infrastructure to poor crowd management – all leading to heartbreaking loss of life.

Latest Incident: The Kasibugga Temple Tragedy

The Kasibugga Venkateswara Temple accident on Saturday was the most recent and deadliest in the state’s string of temple mishaps. According to early reports, a surge of devotees gathered at the temple premises during a religious ritual, causing the old staircase railing to collapse. Panic ensued as worshippers tumbled over each other, leading to multiple deaths and serious injuries. Authorities have since ordered an inquiry into the safety conditions of the temple structure and crowd management protocols.

Earlier Temple Accidents: Simhachalam and Tirumala Incidents

Before the Kasibugga tragedy, two other fatal temple incidents shocked Andhra Pradesh. In April 2025, a rain-soaked wall at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam near Visakhapatnam collapsed, killing seven people and injuring several others. The structure reportedly weakened due to continuous rainfall, underscoring the lack of preventive maintenance at ancient religious sites.

Earlier in January 2025, chaos erupted at Bairagi Patteda in Tirupati as hundreds of devotees rushed to buy tickets for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the renowned Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple on the Tirumala hills. The resulting stampede led to six deaths and left over forty injured, raising questions about the management of high-volume pilgrim events.

Other Disasters Compound the Crisis in Andhra Pradesh

The temple tragedies come amid a series of other calamities that have battered Andhra Pradesh in recent weeks. A bus fire in Kurnool district claimed 19 lives, and the devastating cyclonic storm “Montha” wreaked havoc across coastal regions, causing estimated damages of ₹5,244 crore.

As the state continues to recover from these incidents, the final week of October extending into November has been described as one of the darkest periods in recent memory – marked by widespread destruction, grief, and calls for improved public safety mechanisms.

Authorities Respond and Call for Safety Reforms

In response to the recurring tragedies, state officials and temple boards have pledged to review structural integrity across major temples and implement stricter crowd control guidelines. Experts are urging the government to introduce a comprehensive safety audit for heritage and high-traffic temples to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Religious safety experts emphasize that ancient structures, while architecturally magnificent, require modern safety reinforcements and emergency planning to accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims during peak religious seasons.

Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Temple Safety in Andhra Pradesh

The tragic chain of temple accidents in 2025 serves as a stark reminder that spiritual sanctuaries must not become sites of sorrow. As Andhra Pradesh mourns the loss of 22 lives and prays for the recovery of nearly 100 injured devotees, there is an urgent need for systematic safety reforms and better preparedness at religious sites across the state.

Ensuring the safety of devotees is not just a matter of faith but also of responsibility – one that must be upheld by both temple authorities and the state administration alike.