VISAKHAPATNAM: "I lost everything in my life, my future is uncertain," said 18-year-old Kandipalli Mahendra Varaprasad from Visakhapatnam who came to know of the death of his mother through a viral video of the stampede, on social media. Varaprasad and his father, Venkatesh, searched for her for several hours but could not locate her. After seeing a viral video on social media, Varaprasad and Venkatesh came to know that she is no more.
The victim, K Shanthi (38), was one of the six devotees, who died in the Tirupati temple stampede during the distribution of Vaikunta Dwara Sarva darshan tokens in Vishnu Nivasam on Wednesday night.
Varaprasad was observing Govinda Mala Deeksha with his father, who is an auto-rickshaw driver. Meanwhile, Shanti from Kancharapalem here had travelled to Tirupati for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala.
"We had a peaceful Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala in 2024 and 2023. We had expected to have a pleasant pilgrimage this year as well. But, the trip turned tragic for our family. I lost my mother," said Varaprasad.
Recalling the incident, Varaprasad said they had lined up near Vishnu Nivasam on Wednesday night to collect tokens for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam.
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