Tirupati, Jan 8 (NationPress) A tragic incident occurred where four devotees lost their lives and multiple others were hurt in a stampede that took place at three different locations during the distribution of Tirumala temple darshan tickets in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati on Wednesday night.

The stampede happened at three sites designated for issuing Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets scheduled for Thursday morning.

A significant crowd of devotees assembled to queue for special darshan tickets, which ultimately led to the stampede.

Among the deceased, there were three women, one of whom was from Tamil Nadu.

Several attendees fainted and were transported to Ruia Hospital for medical attention.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), responsible for overseeing the renowned Tirumala temple, had previously declared that special darshan tickets would be available at 94 counters across nine locations in Tirupati starting at 5 a.m. on Thursday.

However, a large influx of devotees began to gather from Wednesday morning. Chaos ensued as devotees were permitted at the counters, resulting in a push forward that triggered the stampede.

Official reports indicate that the stampede occurred at Srinivasam, Bairagipatteda, and Satyanarayanapuram.

Both police and TTD officials quickly arrived to commence rescue and relief efforts.

The TTD had intended to distribute 1.20 lakh tokens on Thursday morning for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan planned for January 10, 11, and 12.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his sorrow regarding the loss of four lives in the stampede.

In his statement, he conveyed his grief over the incident. The Chief Minister contacted officials to ensure that the injured received the best possible care.

He instructed senior officials to visit the site and oversee relief operations. He maintained communication with district officials and TTD authorities to keep track of the situation.

YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed his dismay at the death of four devotees in the stampede.