Andhra stampede tragedy: Toll rises to 8, PM Modi announces ex-gratia

One more person who was injured in a stampede during a programme organised by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Kandukur town in Nellore district succumbed while undergoing treatment on Wednesday (December 28) night, taking the toll to eight, police said on Thursday (December 29).

The victims, including two women died and eight others were injured on Wednesday after they fell in a drainage canal when the Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu was addressing a roadshow.

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People gathered in large numbers at the venue and there was some jostling among the public during the meeting, leading to a stampede-like situation at the canal.

Some of the injured are undergoing treatment in hospital.

Naidu, who immediately cancelled the meeting, announced ₹10 lakh to the kin of the deceased.

He visited the hospital where the injured were being treated and also asked the TDP leaders to ensure better medical care to the injured.

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Reacting to the incident Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he was pained by the mishap and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families while announcing a compensation of ₹2 lakh each for the kin of deceased.

“An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured would be given ₹50,000,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.