Andhra temple wall collapse: Pilgrimage becomes a nightmare at Simhachalam
VISAKHAPATNAM: What began as a deeply spiritual day for thousands of devotees, turned into a nightmare at the Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, as a wall collapse in the early hours of Wednesday claimed seven lives during the annual Chandanotsavam.
A pall of gloom descended on the mortuary premises at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam as grieving families of the Simhachalam temple wall collapse victims struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.
Seven devotees, including a young techie couple and their relatives, lost their lives while waiting for ‘Nijaroopa Darshanam’ of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
Among the deceased were Pilla Umamaheswara Rao (30) and his wife Shailaja (27), natives of Chandrampalem village in Madhurawada. Both were software professionals employed in Hyderabad, and had returned to their hometown to work remotely.
They were accompanied by Shailaja’s mother, P Venkata Ratna (45), and aunt, G Mahalakshmi (65), who also died in the incident. The family had arrived early at the temple and were waiting in the Rs 300 ticket queue when the wall collapsed around 3.15 am reportedly due to heavy rain.
The other victims were identified as Pathi Durga Prasad Naidu (27), an architect from Konaseema district residing in Visakhapatnam; his friend K Manikantha (28) from Konaseema; and Y Venkat Rao (45) from Visakhapatnam. Rescue operations were immediately launched by the NDRF, police, and temple authorities.
According to preliminary reports, the collapse occurred during the rainfall, but an official inquiry is underway to determine the structural integrity of the wall. Family members of the deceased demanded a thorough investigation into the construction of the wall.
“Four members of our family died because of the poor construction of the wall. Who will take responsibility for our family? We are demanding action against the contractor and the engineer responsible,” said relatives of the deceased couple outside KGH.
They also urged the government to announce an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore, and provide a government job to a family member of the victims. “We will not allow postmortem unless the government responds to our demands,” they added. They further said, “Those responsible for the collapse must be held accountable. Accountability must be ensured so that such a tragedy does not happen again.”
Wall collapse claims lives of two friends
Among the seven lives lost in the tragic wall collapse, were 32-year-old Pathi Durga Prasad Naidu, an architect based in Visakhapatnam, and his friend, 29-year-old K Manikanta. A native of Korlapativaripalem village, Prasad had been living in Visakhapatnam for the past four to five years, where he had established his own architectural firm, New Diamond Interiors. He had attended Chandanotsavam along with Manikanta.
“He was full of life, always cheerful, and had big dreams for his future. It is heartbreaking for all of us who knew him to see such a vibrant young man found lifeless in the mud. It’s something we are struggling to come to terms with,” said Navya Sree, a close family friend of Prasad.
“He was a deeply spiritual person, and he always cared for everyone around him,” she told TNIE. Authorities identified Prasad and Manikanta using Aadhaar details provided during the Rs 300 ticket purchase. His family was notified soon after. She further shared that visible injuries were found on Prasad’s head and nose.
“He was found in a mix of cement. We were told that heavy rain and wind caused a tent to collapse first, which then brought down the wall,” Navya explained. Prasad is survived by his parents and a sister. The incident occurred between 2.30 and 3.30 am near the Rs 300 darshan queue line.
Authorities suspect torrential rains triggered the wall collapse, though an investigation is still underway.
