Seven devotees killed as wall collapses at Simhachalam Temple during Chandanotsavam
VISAKHAPATNAM, APR 30 : Seven devotees lost their lives and few others sustained injuries after an under-construction wall collapsed at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam on Wednesday early morning. The incident occurred during the annual Chandanotsavam festival while the devotees were waiting in the Rs 300 queue line.
Visakhapatnam has witnessed heavy rainfall and strong winds since 2 a.m. on Wednesday. The injured persons were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Rescue operations were carried out by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire services, and police department. District Collector and Police Commissioner were present at the site and monitored the situation closely.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Cheif minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said, “The death of seven devotees in a wall collapse during the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Chandanotsavam has deeply saddened me. The incident, caused by heavy rains, is truly unfortunate. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I have spoken to the District Collector and SP regarding the situation and instructed that proper medical care be provided to the injured. I am continuously monitoring the situation.”
Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad, who visited the temple along with other officials, expressed grief over the incident. “It is unfortunate that devotees lost their lives during the festival. The government will provide support to the bereaved families, and those injured are receiving medical care,” he said. The Minister appealed to devotees not to panic and assured that authorities were handling the situation with urgency.
From Amaravati, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy also conveyed condolences. In a statement, he said, “I express deep sorrow over the wall collapse incident at the Simhachalam temple. It is distressing that eight pilgrims lost their lives due to the weather conditions.”
He added that an immediate rescue operation was ordered, with NDRF teams and ambulances deployed. “The Collector, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, and other ministers have reached the site to assess the situation,” he said.
The Minister further stated that the government has initiated an inquiry into the incident. Measures will be taken to ensure the safety of devotees in temple premises to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Responding to the incident, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded that District Collector and Utsav Committee in-charge Ramachandra Mohan be held responsible for Wednesday’s tragic incident at the Simhachalam temple.
Speaking to the media, VHP State Math-Mandir representative Pudipeddi Sharma stated that taking up the responsibility of organising the Chandanotsavam festival does not mean merely securing VIP passes and going for darshan.
He alleged that officials, who remained focused on serving VIPs, had completely neglected the common devotees and left them to face the consequences.
“It was a close call for me — I had passed through the same spot just three to five minutes before the wall collapsed. We heard a loud crashing sound as the wall came down, and it was truly frightening,” recalled a devotee in the Rs 300 queue line.
-PTI
