Due to heavy rain on the morning of the festival and Simhachalam’s hilly terrain, the ground reportedly became unstable.

Andhra Pradesh Simhachalam Temple Wall Collapse Latest News Today: At least eight people lost their lives after a cement wall collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday at the Simhachalam temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, India Today reported.

The wall collapsed while devotees were queuing for a Rs 300 ticket near a shopping complex on the Ghat Road from Simhagiri during the annual Chandanamahotsavam celebrations at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, the report stated.
The devotees had queued up for darshan since the early hours, crowding the area, the report said, citing officials.

Temporary arrangements, including tents, had been set up to accommodate the large number of devotees expected for the festival. According to the report, the collapsed cement wall was part of a newly constructed structure adjacent to the tents.

Due to heavy rain on the morning of the festival and Simhachalam’s hilly terrain, the ground reportedly became unstable. The soil beneath or around the area loosened, causing the tents to collapse onto the under-construction wall, allegedly leading to the collapse of the wall.

Rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local fire and police personnel, were underway at the site. The injured were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” he stated on social media.

As part of the government’s relief measures after the Simhachalam Temple wall collapse in Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia compensation of rupees 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased. Additionally, rupees 50,000 will be provided to those injured in the incident.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also condoled the deaths in a post on his X handle: “My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this incident due to the collapse of a wall caused by heavy rains. I have spoken to the District Collector and SP about the situation there.”

“I have ordered that the injured be provided with immediate medical treatment. I am reviewing the situation from time to time,” he added as he announced his action plan on the Simhachalam Temple wall collapse in Andhra Pradesh. 

Home Minister V. Anitha closely monitored the situation at the site along with the District Collector and Police Commissioner. She also oversaw rescue operations in the wall-damaged area.

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