Overview

• The annual ritual escalated into violent stick fights between two rival groups during the idol procession, according to police and eyewitnesses.
• Authorities reported two fatalities and more than 100 injuries, with at least five in critical condition treated at Government General Hospital, Adoni.
• The gathering swelled to an estimated crowd of over 200,000 from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, with darkness and congestion worsening the chaos.
• A deployment of over 700 police with drones and CCTV was in place, and additional contingents from Nandyal and Kurnool moved in to quell the clashes.
• District Collector A Siri and SP Vikrant Patil visited the site as medical teams treated the injured and an investigation into the violence began.