Rescue efforts were immediately launched, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reaching at the site.
In a tragic incident, at least eight devotees lost their lives and three others sustained injuries during the Chandanotsavam festival at the renowned Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district. The incident occurred after a newly constructed wall suddenly collapsed during the festival. As per the information, the deceased included five men and three women.
The mishap occurred around 2:15 am on the Simhachalam hill when sudden torrential rains and gusty winds hit the area. A portion of a wall built to manage the queue of devotees holding Rs 300 tickets gave way, leading to a catastrophic collapse. Seven people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries later at the hospital, as per officials.
Rescue efforts were immediately launched, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reaching at the site. As per officials, their search and rescue operations are currently underway as they comb through the debris to ensure no one else is trapped. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha also reached the temple premises along with the state’s Disaster Management team to oversee the ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
Andhra CM expresses sorrow
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow and said he had spoken to the Collector and SP. The injured persons were receiving treatment, he said. “Deeply saddened by the death of seven devotees at Simhachalam. My condolences to the families. I’m closely monitoring the situation and have ordered continuous review and support for victims,” said Naidu in a post on ‘X’.
The Chief Minister, who reviewed the situation via teleconference, also announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 3 lakh each to the injured, an official release said adding an outsourcing job in temples under the Endowments Department will be provided to a family member of each victim.
‘No negligence in the rescue response’
State Home Minister V Anitha said preliminary reports indicated that the wall collapse at the temple was triggered by soil loosening due to heavy rains in the area. “We were all drenched in rain. As I came out of the temple, I was informed about the incident. The injured were rushed to hospital,” she said, emphasising that there was no negligence in the rescue response.
PM Modi announces ex-gratia
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. In a post on X, PM Modi extended condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
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