TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu visited the bereaved families and consoled them on Thursday, 29 December, morning.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu consoles the family members of one of the eight killed in a stampede at Kandukur (Supplied)
The TDP on Thursday, 29 December, announced that it would pay an ex gratia of ₹24 lakh each to the families of those killed in a stampede at Kandukur in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district.
Eight people, including two women, were killed after falling into an open drain and as many others were injured in a stampede-like situation during the party’s national president, N Chandrababu Naidu’s roadshow on Wednesday, 28 December, night.
Naidu was addressing the rally organised as part of the party’s ongoing campaign, Idhem Kharma Mana Rashtraniki when the tragedy struck.
The TDP announced that its leadership would provide ₹15 lakh each to the kin of the deceased families, while local leaders and others would contribute to the fund.
The former chief minister, Naidu, has already pledged the party’s support to the bereaved families. Besides paying the ex gratia, the NTR Trust would fund the education of the children of the deceased, he said.
Earlier in the morning, he visited the bereaved families and consoled them even as the Kandukur police registered a case under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (investigation into unnatural death).
The police said people had gathered in large numbers at the venue and some jostling triggered a stampede-like situation. Some of the injured were still undergoing treatment in a hospital.
On Wednesday, Naidu cancelled the rally immediately after the incident. He announced a financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
He also visited the injured in the hospital and instructed party leaders to ensure the best treatment for them.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and assistance of ₹50,000 to those injured.
“Pained by the mishap at a public meeting in Nellore, AP. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured would be given ₹50,000,” PMO India tweeted.
Pained by the mishap at a public meeting in Nellore, AP. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 29, 2022
Expressing shock over the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy 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 provide the necessary support to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, the ruling YSCP leaders blamed the TDP for the deaths. Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, who belongs to Nellore, said Naidu and TDP were holding such roadshows on narrow and crowded lanes out of desperation for publicity, which led to which such an incident that claimed eight innocent and valuable lives.
He asked the opposition leader to shun such acts of desperation.
The victims were identified as Gaddam Madhu, Kakumani Raja, Kalavakuri Yanadi, Vutukuri Purushottam, Marlapati Chinna Kondiaiah, Yakasiri Vijaya, and Devineni Ravindra.
One of the deceased has not been identified.
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