A shocking stampede unfolded at a token distribution center in Tirupati, leaving several devotees injured amidst a heavy rush.
According to an eyewitness, the chaos began as soon as police officials opened the gates for pilgrims to purchase tokens.
Speaking to the media, a woman at the scene described the incident, "There was a heavy rush when the gates opened. There was no such system for obtaining tokens earlier. Many male pilgrims rushed forward, leading to injuries among several women, including six members of my family."
She added that her family had joined the queue at 11 o’clock and was provided with milk and biscuits while waiting. However, the lack of a structured system for token distribution aggravated the situation, resulting in injuries.
The injured women were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The stampede has raised concerns over crowd management at the holy site, particularly during high-demand periods for darshan tokens.
Authorities are expected to review the incident and implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.