Seven people were killed and several others injured when a portion of a wall collapsed at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh‘s Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam, during the early hours of Wednesday. The incident occurred around 2:30 am during the annual Chandanotsavam festival. The festival draws large crowds of devotees to the temple.
What led to the wall collapse in Andhra temple?
Officials said the collapse involved a 20-foot-long stretch of a rain-soaked, makeshift structure. Preliminary reports suggest the wall collapsed due to the loosening of soil caused by continuous heavy rainfall in the region.
Andhra Pradesh Home and Disaster Management Minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the site and called the incident “unfortunate.” Anitha said that there was heavy rainfall and that necessary precautions were already taken.
Anitha also said that initial findings point to the weather as a key factor behind the tragedy. Rescue operations are currently ongoing, with teams from both the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) deployed at the site.
An SDRF personnel at the scene confirmed the casualties and said that those injured had been rushed to a hospital for treatment. Authorities are continuing the search and rescue efforts, and further investigations into the structural failure are expected.
(With Agency Inputs)