8 killed after wall collapses on queuing devotees in Andhra
What's the story
Eight devotees were killed and four injured after a wall collapsed on them at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh. The accident happened at around 2:30am on Wednesday when the devotees were waiting in line for the Nijaroopa arshan of the deity at the annual Chandanotsavam festival. Rescue operations were soon launched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities.
Cause
Temple wall collapse: A combination of factors
State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the site and shared preliminary findings. The newly-constructed temple wall had soaked up water due to heavy rainfall, Anitha explained, adding pressure from the crowd contributed to the wall's collapse. "They were standing in the queue line for special darshan after paying ₹300 per ticket. The wall...suddenly gave way and collapsed due to loosening of soil because of heavy rains in the area," she said.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the scene
Andhra Pradesh| Vishakapatnam|SimhachalamTemple
— Gummalla Lakshmana (@GUMMALLALAKSHM3) April 30, 2025
8 Devotees dead after a wall collapsed at SimhachalamTemple during Chandanotsavam in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Seven died on the spot, one at hospital. Rescue ops concluded... pic.twitter.com/nGPanD1c1L
Response
Officials respond to temple wall collapse
Visakhapatnam District Collector Harendhira Prasad and Commissioner of Police Shankha Brata Bagchi also reached the temple along with Anitha to oversee rescue operations. According to Prasad, the identities of three women who were among the victims are still unknown. "The bodies of the victims and injured were shifted to King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam," he said. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed sorrow and announced an ex gratia of ₹25 lakh each for the victims' families.
Investigation
Official committee to investigate temple wall collapse
Apart from announcing the compensation, CM Naidu has constituted a three-member official committee to look into the wall collapse. This year's Chandanotsavam festival witnessed thousands of devotees for a rare darshan of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy in his nijaroopa (true form), without the usual sandalwood paste that covers the idol throughout the year. The deity was ceremoniously woken up at 1:00am with Suprabhata Seva, followed by careful removal of sandalwood paste from the idol using special silver scrapers.