Devotion Turns to Disaster: 8 Dead in Simhachalam Temple Wall Collapse on Chandanotsavam Day

 Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | April 30, 2025 – What began as a sacred celebration turned tragic when a wall collapse at the historic Simhachalam temple claimed the lives of eight devotees and left several others injured during the annual Chandanotsavam festival. The mishap took place in the early hours of Wednesday, dampening what is typically one of the most spiritually significant events in the region.



A Sacred Gathering Turns Fatal

The Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam witnessed a large influx of devotees who had gathered for the revered Nijaroopa Darshan—a rare, once-a-year glimpse of the deity without sandalwood paste. The event draws thousands from across Andhra Pradesh and neighboring states.

At around 2:30 AM, just as the festival crowds began building, a newly constructed wall adjacent to the queue line collapsed near a shopping complex close to the Ghat Road from the Simhagiri Bus Stand. The sudden failure of the structure caught devotees off-guard, leading to a chaotic scene of debris, dust, and screams.

The Victims: A Mix of Youth and Experience

Among the deceased were techie couple Pilla Uma Maheswara Rao (30) and Pilla Sailaja (26), residents of Visakhapatnam and employees of HCL and Infosys, respectively. Their relatives, Venkat Ratna (45) and G. Mahalakshmi (65), also perished in the collapse.

Other victims included:

  • Durgaswamy Naidu (33) and K. Manikantha (28) from East Godavari district

  • Yedla Venkat Rao (45) from Visakhapatnam

Several others were injured and rushed to King George Hospital, where emergency services were mobilized swiftly.

What Caused the Collapse?

Preliminary investigations suggest multiple contributing factors:

  • Overnight rainfall had softened the soil, potentially weakening the wall's foundation.

  • Crowd pressure against the wall in the tightly packed queue lines may have worsened the structural stress.

  • Construction quality and recent repairs to the wall are now under scrutiny.

Swift Response and Rescue Operations

Emergency teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed immediately. Local police and fire services worked tirelessly to pull people from the rubble and manage crowd control.

Senior state officials, including State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, District Collector A. Mallikarjuna, and Police Commissioner Shanka Brata Bagchi, rushed to the site to oversee the rescue efforts.

Government Action and Compensation

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and announced:

  • ₹25 lakh ex gratia for each family of the deceased

  • ₹3 lakh for the injured

  • A three-member committee to investigate the cause of the collapse

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended condolences and sanctioned:

  • ₹2 lakh ex gratia to the families of the deceased

  • ₹50,000 to those injured, from the PM National Relief Fund

Festival Overshadowed, Questions Raised

The Chandanotsavam festival, usually marked by devotion and grandeur, now bears the weight of loss and unanswered questions. Many are demanding stricter crowd control, better infrastructure audits, and emergency preparedness at religious sites that see such overwhelming attendance.

Religious fervor often brings people together in moments of unity and faith, but this tragic incident serves as a harsh reminder of the need for structural vigilance and human safety—even in the most sacred spaces.

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