Hyderabad: A stampede during a fire pit ritual at the Sri Parvati Ramalingeswara Swamy festival in Amanagallu village of Vemulapalli mandal left around 10 devotees seriously injured.
The incident occurred during the annual temple celebrations in the erstwhile Nalgonda district. Devotees had gathered in large numbers to participate in the traditional fire pit ritual following the deity’s Kalyanotsavam.
Early Wednesday morning around 4 am, devotees began crossing the fire pit as part of the religious practice. However, the crowd suddenly swelled near the ritual area.
As a result, devotees at the rear pushed forward while others attempted to cross the fire pit. Consequently, several people lost balance during the rush and fell directly into the burning pit.
Fire pit ritual triggers stampede during temple festival
Because of the sudden commotion, devotees began pushing each other in panic. Several participants who attempted to cross the fire pit lost control and fell into the flames.
Immediately after the incident, police personnel on duty and local residents rushed to the spot. They quickly pulled the devotees out of the fire pit and prevented a larger tragedy.
Although their swift response avoided a major disaster, around 10 devotees sustained burn injuries. Authorities immediately shifted the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Doctors are currently providing emergency care to the victims. Meanwhile, the unexpected accident during the fire pit ritual left devotees at the festival site in shock.