NEW DELHI: Chaos, screams and desperate struggles for space have marked India’s major public gatherings in 2025. From temples and festivals to railway stations, political rallies, and sporting celebrations, narrow pathways, overcrowding, and insufficient planning turned moments of joy and devotion into scenes of horror. Across the year, eight stampedes in different states claimed 127 lives, revealing a recurring pattern of preventable tragedies and raising urgent questions about crowd safety in the country’s growing urban and religious gatherings.

Temple in Tirumala Hills: Morning rush turns fatal

Chaos erupted at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala Hills, Andhra Pradesh, on 9 January. Six devotees died during a morning rush inside the temple complex. Narrow corridors and hi

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