Visakhapatnam Temple Tragedy: CM Naidu Offers Rs 25 Lakh Ex Gratia to Families of Dead

Eight pilgrims lost their lives when wall fell at Simhachalam temple during Chandanotsavam festival; State and Centre governments offer assistance to families of victims.

In a mishap, a wall fall at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam killed eight people and injured four others.

The mishap took place during the Chandanotsavam festival, when thousands had assembled to see the Nija Rupam of the deity at the ancient Simhachalam temple.A 20-foot temporary wall collapsed at around 2.30 am on Wednesday due to rains, when devotees were standing in a queue, officials said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu conveyed profound sadness and promptly announced Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to every family of the deceased victims.

He also offered a government job on outsourcing basis to one member of every deceased family under the jurisdiction of the Endowments Department.For the injured ones, CM Naidu announced Rs 3 lakh compensation and ordered officials to render the best medical care possible without any delay.

The Chief Minister directed instant removal of debris to prevent inconvenience to devotees and provide safety to those still visiting the temple.Naidu conducted an emergency teleconference with ministers and temple trustees, including Ashok Gajapathi Raju, to organize relief and investigation efforts.

He also directed a three-member committee to investigate the causes of the wall collapse and hold someone accountable for the tragic accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and announced compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

As per PM Modi’s statement, Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each deceased’s next of kin and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident.

Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also condoled the deaths, calling the incident heartbreaking and urged authorities to support affected families.

He emphasized delivering good quality medical attention to the victims and called for complete support to those mourning the loss of their loved ones.

On the other hand, YSRCP leader Gowtham Reddy accused the Naidu government of not making proper arrangements for the huge number of devotees.

He accused the wall under construction next to the queue lines of collapsing as a result of the authorities’ negligence and mismanagement.

Reddy recalled the past incidents and cautioned the government against “playing with Gods,” blaming it for temple mismanagement over the past few years.

Search and rescue efforts were undertaken by the State and National Disaster Response Forces to rescue those buried under the fallen structure(ANI).