At least six people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at a Hindu religious event in India, officials reported on Thursday. The tragedy occurred on Wednesday at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh, where a large crowd had gathered to collect entry tokens.
Prem Kumar Jain, a spokesperson for the ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state, confirmed the deaths and expressed condolences.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his sympathies to the families of the victims.
Stampedes during religious festivals in India are unfortunately common, often due to inadequate crowd control and safety measures. Last year, a stampede during a religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh killed 121 people, and in 2016, a fireworks explosion at a Kerala temple claimed 112 lives.
This tragedy occurred just days before the start of the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu festival, expected to attract up to 400 million pilgrims.
