India: Several killed in stampede at political rally

At least seven people have died in a stampede at a rally in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, police officials said.

Massive crowds gathered to hear the address of N. Chandrababu Naidu, the leader of the main opposition party of the state, who previously served Andhra Pradesh's chief minister.

Members of the crowd pushed each other as Naidu arrived for the rally in the town of Kandukur, which lies in the coastal district of Nellore.

In addition to seven people who lost their lives, several others have been injured and taken to the hospital, according to the police.

Naidu hopes to return to power in 2024

Naidu has been holding campaign rallies in the state with the aim of returning his party to power in state elections in 2024. He said the vote would be his last if his party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), didn't win.

The politician, who is 72 years old, was the chief minister of the state from 2014 until 2019, until he lost to his rival Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The vote marked a humiliating defeat for Naidu's party in 2019, which won very few seats after years of being in power.

Reddy is the leader of the regional YSR Congress Party, which is currently in power in the state. He is also the son of one of the most popular state leaders in Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash in 2009.

What happened during the stampede?

A stampede occurs when a group of people suddenly start running in one direction. Some people tried escaping by jumping into a nearby drainage canal, Indian media outlets reported.

But persons died in the process as several others lept on top of them.

Naidu canceled his appearance and announced around $10,000 (10 lakh rupees) as compensation to the relatives of persons who died.