At least eight people died, and several others were injured after a cement wall collapsed at the Simhachalam temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Wednesday.
The wall collapsed while devotees were standing in a queue for the Rs 300 ticket near the shopping complex on the Ghat Road from Simhagiri Bus Stand.
The incident occurred during the annual Chandanamahotsavam celebrations at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.
According to sources, temporary arrangements were made as part of the festival preparations, including tents that were put up to accommodate the large number of devotees anticipated for the festival. Besides this arrangement, it is learnt that a new structure was constructed.
In the wee hours of Wednesday, heavy rains lashed the region for over an hour. Given Simhachalam's hilly terrain, the soil reportedly came loose, causing the tents and temporary structures to give way and fall onto the newly constructed wall — allegedly leading to the collapse.
Rescue operations were underway, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and fire and police departments deployed at the site. Injured devotees were moved to hospitals under the supervision of the NDRF and the SDRF.
Officials say the devotees had queued up for darshan since the early hours, crowding the area.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu condoled the deaths. “I am saddened by the death of seven devotees... My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this incident due to the collapse of a wall due to heavy rains. I have spoken to the district collector and SP about the situation there,” he said, adding that he was monitoring the situation closely.
Home Minister V Anitha reached the spot and was closely monitoring the situation along with the District Collector and Police Commissioner. She also oversaw the rescue operations in the wall-damaged area.
Minister for Endowments Anam Ramanarayana Reddy expressed shock and grief over the incident. “It is most unfortunate that seven devotees lost their lives in a wall collapse due to heavy rains,” he said in a statement from Amaravati. He assured that orders had been issued to provide the best treatment to the injured and confirmed that an enquiry had been launched into the incident. “The government will stand by the families of the victims,” he added.
Visuals from earlier in the day showed devotees, including Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman BR Naidu, offering silk clothes (pattu vastras) to the deity.
Source: India Today