Nellore stampede: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakhs ex-gratia for kin of deceased

TIRUPATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is on a Delhi visit, expressed their condolences over the death of eight persons in a stampede at a public meeting of the Telugu Desam on Wednesday in Kandukur of SPSR Nellore district.

Modi on Thursday tweeted that he was pained by the mishap and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the eight deceased persons. “Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. 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,” he said in the post.

Within hours, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced ex gratia of `2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and `50,000 each to the injured. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and instructed the officials to extend necessary support to the victims' families.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichanan also expressed anguish over the deaths. In a statement from Raj Bhavan on Thursday, the Governor expressed profound grief over the death of eight persons, including two women, and injuries to several persons in a stampede at the public meeting in Kandukur. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

The TD also announced an ex gratia of `24 lakh each to the families of the deceased, with `15 lakh announced by the party and `9 lakh each contributed by 11 party leaders.

The autopsies of the victims’ bodies revealed that the deaths were caused due to suffocation, high pressure and shock. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families.

The deceased were identified as K. Yanadi (57), a farmer and TD SC Cell leader from Kondamu- dusu Palem, M. Chinna Kondaiah (55), a mason from Ammavari Palem, D. Ravindra (73) a farmer from Athmakuru, U. Purushottam (70), a daily wage worker from Gundlapalem, K. Raja (50), a beverage shop owner from Kandukur town, Gaddam Madhu Babu (45), a daily wage worker from Oguru, U. Rajeswari (40), a homemaker from Kandukur and Y. Vijaya (35), a daily wage worker from Varichenu Sangam. TD leaders made necessary arrangements to shift the bodies of the deceased from the hospital to their native places.

TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu instructed party leaders to attend the funerals and extend necessary help to the families of victims. Naidu said that the NTR Trust will fund the education of the children of the deceased.