One dead, 20 injured in Andhra stampede

One person died and over 20 others including women were injured in a stampede as thousands of people rushed to get fish prasadam (fish medicine for asthma patients) at the annual distribution at Katedan stadium in Hyderabad, officials said.

The incident allegedly occurred at around 9.30 am, after huge crowds rushed to get the medicine when the gates were opened at the distribution site, they said.

One Gorakh Patel (believed to be in his 60s and also suffering from a heart ailment) fell down during the stampede and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. He died on the way, they said, adding that at least 25 persons including women had to be treated for minor injuries.

Over two lakh people from different parts of the country were already administered the medicine at the event, which is organised by the Bathini Mrigasira Trust that provides the free medicine claimed to cure asthma, an official said.

"Additional counters have been opened and things have now been put in order with the queue being maintained," the official said.

However, several persons complained that no proper arrangements were made at the distribution site.

The distribution that began on Friday morning would go on non-stop for 48 hours.

The venue of the fish prasadam event was organised at Nampally exihibition grounds every year, but was shifted to Katedan this year.

Regretting the death of one person in the incident, Bathini Uma Maheswar Goud, one of the Bathini brothers, felt the arrangements could have been better with effective coordination among different agencies involved in distributing the 'fish medicine prasadam'.

Blaming the government, state BJP president G Kishan Reddy alleged that the delay in deciding the venue for distribution of the 'fish medicine prasadam' and its inept handling of the situation led to the incident.

He demanded that ex-gratia be paid to the kin of the deceased and also the injured.