Andhra stampede toll rises to eight; CM Jagan Mohan Reddy announces ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh

The eight people, including two women, who are all supporters of TDP, fell into a drainage ditch during the stampede as thousands of people rushed to greet Naidu. According to the police, thousands of TDP workers and supporters had gathered at the venue, and there was some jostling as soon as Naidu arrived to address the massive public meeting. Several people were also injured in the melee.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is in New Delhi on an official visit, Thursday expressed shock over the Kandukuru stampede. The CM expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and ₹ 50,000 each to the injured.

He instructed the officials to extend support to the families of the victims.

The Kandukur town police have registered a case to investigate the cause of the stampede and deaths. The Kandukur Area Hospital officials started handing over the bodies of the deceased to their families.

The public meeting and roadshow, which Naidu cancelled after the tragedy, were a part of the Opposition Leader’s ‘Idemi Kharma Mana Rashtraniki (Why is our state facing this fate)’ programme, a campaign in the run up to the Assembly elections in 2024.

While expressing grief over the deaths of the victims, Naidu on Wednesday night announced Rs 10 lakh each as ex-gratia to the kin of those who died in the stampede. Apart from this amount, TDP party members contributed another Rs 24 lakh which will be distributed equally to the families of the eight victims.

In a statement, he said that those who died are the family members of the TDP and it was a great loss to the party. “It is really a great agony that the family members of the TDP who fought for the interest of the state, who attended the party public meeting here have lost their valuable lives,” Naidu said.

Promising to stand by the family members of the deceased, Naidu said that he would not only pay the ex-gratia but will also support the education of the victims’ children. He also ordered the party activists to stay back in Kandukur till the last rites of the deceased are complete.

K Atchennaidu, president of TDP state unit, said that the death of eight people at the public meeting is a great tragedy and the party would stand by their family members.

TDP leaders, however, blamed the police for not making proper security and safety arrangements at the venue of the public meeting and roadshow.