CM expresses anguish at Sabarimala stampede, announces ex gratia

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday expressed anguish at the stampede which occurred at Uppupara, near Vandiperiyar in Kerala State and claimed the lives of 104 Ayyappa devotees, 22 of them from the state, on Friday night.

In a press statement, the Chief Minister condoled the incident and directed Chief Secretary S V Prasad and Principal Secretary to take immediate steps to extend all possible assistance to the victims in coordination with the officials of the Kerala Government.

The Chief Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to each of the families of the deceased apart from providing necessary medical treatment to the 19 injured.

Meanwhile bodies were received by team of Ministers DK Aruna, P Shankar Rao, Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, K Parthasarathy, Jupally Krishna Rao at the Airport. Wreaths were placed by them on the bodies.

Ms DK Aruna said that bodies are being handed over to the relatives of the victims and revenue officials were also sent along with the family members.

A Revenue Official and a Medical Officer are being sent along with the body whose relatives could not come to the airport, she informed.  She also said that the State Government is taking all necessary steps for transport of the bodies by Ambulances.

NDMA Vice-Chairman Mari Shashidhar Reddy, BJP leaders Bandaru Dattatreya, Baddam Bal Reddy, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district Collectors Natrajan Gulzar and Dana Kishore were present.

Following are the names of the victims whose bodies have arrived at the Airport: S Hariprasad (Guntur), Gangula Venkateshwara Rao (Tenali), Srinivas, (Mahaboobnagar), G Rambabu Reddy (Nalgonda), Aravind (Vijayawada), Sarvesham (Karimnagar), Achyut (Vijayawada), G Venkateshwara Rao (Nizamabad), Raj Kumarappa (Nizamabad), Puppala Prasad (Krishna Dist) and K Govind (Prakasam).