Tragedy Strikes at Visakhapatnam Temple Festival

A wall collapse at Visakhapatnam's Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple during the Chandanotsavam festival resulted in eight deaths and several injuries. Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed their condolences, while state authorities initiated investigations and rescue operations. The collapse is attributed to heavy rains.

A tragic incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday at Visakhapatnam's Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple when a 20-foot wall collapsed during the Chandanotsavam festival, leading to the death of eight people and injuring several others. The calamity struck as devotees lined up for darshan.

According to an official statement, Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He urged the district administration to ensure adequate medical treatment for the injured. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also conveyed his sympathies and lamented the death toll, attributing it to the heavy rains that caused the wall collapse.

Investigations have begun to determine the exact cause of the collapse, stated Vinay Chan, Principal Secretary of the Endowment Department. Rescue operations led by the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force are ongoing. The incident, which occurred at approximately 2:30 am, has raised concerns about safety measures at large gatherings.

(With inputs from agencies.)