At least nine devotees were killed and several critically injured when a newly constructed wall collapsed during Chandanotsavam festival at Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

Tragedy struck the sacred hill shrine of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam in the early hours when a newly constructed wall fell on the queue of devotees who paid Rs 300 for the darshan. The incident occurred around 2:30 am after heavy rain and strong winds battered the temple premises which was teeming with devotees due to the Chandanotsavam festival.

Advertisement

According to authorities, the heavy rain loosened the soil leading to the wall collapse. The NDRF and SDRF rushed to the spot and began rescue operations. The injured were taken to King George Hospital at Visakhapatnam. An official inquiry was also ordered. State Home minister V Anitha and the district collector rushed to the spot to oversee rescue operations.

The Chandanotsavam festival marks the unveiling of the deity after being covered with sandalwood paste for a year. There is usually a huge rush of pilgrims to attend the event, with temple authorities setting up special darshan queues for ticket holders, VIPs, and protocol visitors. Today, the collapse occured right after the hereditary trustee P Ashok Gajapathy Raju completed the first ceremonial darshan and presented the Chandanam to the deity.

This is the second such tragedy to take place in a temple in AP during heavy rush of devotees after the stampede in Tirupati left 6 devotees dead.