8 Killed & Several Injured In Wall Collapse At Temple In Andhra Pradesh’s Simhachalam

On April 30, at least eight people died and four others were severely injured after a wall adjacent to a queue collapsed on the devotees at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh. The incident occurred when the devotees were gathered and waiting in a queue to witness the ‘Nijaroopa Darshan of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy’ on the occasion of the Chandanotsavam festival.

8 Killed After Wall Collapsed At Andhra Pradesh’s Simhachalam Temple

According to the Hindustan Times, a wall collapse at the Simhachalam temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam killed at least eight people. The unfortunate incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday after heavy rain accompanied by heavy gale lashed the city in the early morning. A 20-foot-long stretch collapsed and left several people severely injured as well.

8 devotees feared dead and several critically injured in a wall collapse at #Simhachalam temple in early hours.
Large number of devotees joined Q for darshan on #Chandanotsavam today. It rained heavily after midnight. Tragedy happened in Rs 300 Q. Sad to see 💔#Vizag pic.twitter.com/Oiovw1LwUi

— Vizag weatherman🇮🇳 (@KiranWeatherman) April 30, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. He also wished for a speedy recovery of the injured. In the post, he announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in Andhra Pradesh’s Simhachalam temple wall collapse. He also announced aid of ₹50,000 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.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 30, 2025

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Rescue Operations Underway, Probe On

Following the wall collapse, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local officials, conducted rescue operations at the temple in Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh. Injured devotees were moved to hospitals for immediate medical assistance.

As per reports, due to Simhachalam’s hilly terrain, the soil came loose after the heavy rainfall and caused the temporary tents and structures around the temple complex to give way and fall onto the newly constructed temple wall, which led to the collapse. An investigation has been launched to know more about the incident.

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Our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. We hope that the authorities are able to figure out the cause of the wall collapse and avoid any such tragedy in the future.

Cover Image Courtesy: X/@ManavZagade