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.
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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’. Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy also condoled the deaths.