Srikakulum, Nov 1: In a tragic incident in a shrine, at least ten devotees were killed and 13 others were critical in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on Saturday.

Most of the casualties are women devotees, said sources.

The stampede occurred amid a sea of devotees at the temple during Kartika Ekadashi.

Police confirmed the toll saying "The stampede occurred at Venkateswara temple in Kasibugga town at around 11.30 am. Sea of people entered the temple campus for darshan while the incident took place.

Rescue operations are underway. However, the death toll is expected to rise further as scrore of devotees were spotted from the scene in critical conditions.

The injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Police headed by the district admin are taking stock of the incident while an investigation has been ordered in this connection.

Though the precise reason behind the misap is yet under investigation, narrow and common passage for both entrance and exit is considered to be the trigger for the unprecedented incident.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), police teams and emergency personnel rushed to the spot to control the situation. State Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu reached the temple shortly after the incident and met with temple authorities to assess the situation. Additional police forces have been deployed to manage the crowd and assist in relief efforts.