Srikakulam Stampede: Crowd Management Failures Bared Again
From poor infrastructure to absent accountability, the Srikakulam disaster mirrors past tragedies like Hathras and Kumbh Mela. (Image video grab)
The Srikakulam temple tragedy, where at least 10 devotees were killed, underscores India’s chronic inability to manage large crowds—despite repeated lessons from past stampedes at Hathras, Prayagraj, and Karur.
By AMIT KUMAR
New Delhi, November 1, 2025 — The deadly stampede at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, has once again exposed India’s persistent struggle with crowd safety. At least 10 devotees were killed and several others injured after panic broke out when an iron grill collapsed near the temple steps — the only entry and exit point.
Srikakulam SP K.V. Maheswara Reddy explained that “the public, in fear, thought something was falling and panicked. They fell from a height of about six feet, one on top of another, and that led to the incident.”
Initial investigations revealed that the temple was privately managed, not registered under the state’s endowments department, and lacked necessary permissions for the large Ekadashi gathering. Authorities confirmed that construction work was still ongoing inside the premises — a disaster waiting to happen.
A Pattern of Negligence
This tragedy mirrors earlier stampedes that have scarred India’s recent history. In July 2024, over 120 people died at a satsang event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where turnout exceeded permitted limits. In January 2025, a crush at Prayagraj’s Kumbh Mela left several dead as crowds surged toward the riverbank. Just months later, a political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur saw 41 fatalities.
Despite each disaster leading to inquiries and promises of reform, systemic issues persist —overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and a lack of coordination between local authorities and event organisers.
Why Crowd Management Keeps Failing
Experts point to six recurring failures that define India’s crowd disasters:
- Overcapacity and Poor Planning: Events consistently exceed safe limits, often without updated risk assessments or permits.
- Single Entry and Exit Points: As seen in Srikakulam, chokepoints become death traps when panic spreads.
- Lack of Emergency Infrastructure: Few venues have proper evacuation plans, crowd flow designs, or safety signage.
- Absence of Coordination: Organisers, police, and district administrations often act in silos without unified command.
- Human Panic Triggers: Even minor structural failures or rumours can cause mass hysteria.
- Weak Accountability: Investigations rarely lead to meaningful penalties or institutional reform.
A Cultural and Governance Challenge
India’s religious and political life thrives on mass gatherings — from temple festivals to rallies and pilgrimages. But with millions attending such events, crowd management cannot rely on improvisation. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines recommend crowd mapping, capacity audits, and use of surveillance tools — yet compliance remains sporadic.
The Kasibugga tragedy shows that these guidelines are either ignored or deemed optional, particularly for privately managed or smaller venues that escape official oversight.
Preventing future stampedes requires more than post-tragedy inquiries and compensation announcements. Experts call for:
- Mandatory crowd-risk assessments for all large gatherings
- Strict criminal liability for organisers violating safety norms
- Real-time crowd monitoring and density control technologies
- Clear evacuation routes and crowd marshals at every major venue
- Nationwide public awareness about crowd behaviour and safety
The Srikakulam temple disaster is not an isolated event but another grim chapter in India’s long list of preventable tragedies. Until crowd management is treated as a science — not an afterthought — the cycle of grief will continue to repeat, one stampede at a time.
(This is an opinion piece, and views expressed are those of the author only)
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