8 killed in wall collapse at temple in Andhra Pradesh's Simhachalam
At least eight people died, and several others were injured after a cement wall collapsed at the Simhachalam temple in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Wednesday.The wall collapsed while devotees were standing in a queue for the Rs 300 ticket near the shopping complex on the Ghat Road from Simhagiri Bus Stand.The incident occurred during the annual Chandanamahotsavam celebrations at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.advertisement
According to sources, temporary arrangements were made as part of the festival preparations, including tents that were put up to accommodate the large number of devotees anticipated for the festival. It is learnt that the cement wall that collapsed was from a new under-construction structure next to the tents. In the wee hours of Wednesday, heavy rains lashed the region for over an hour. Given Simhachalam's hilly terrain, the soil reportedly came loose, causing the tents and temporary structures to give way and fall onto the newly constructed wall — allegedly leading to the collapse.Rescue operations were underway, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and fire and police departments deployed at the site. Injured devotees were moved to hospitals under the supervision of the NDRF and the SDRF.advertisementOfficials say the devotees had queued up for darshan since the early hours, crowding the area.Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu condoled the deaths. 'I am saddened by the death of seven devotees... My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this incident due to the collapse of a wall due to heavy rains. I have spoken to the district collector and SP about the situation there,' he said, adding that he was monitoring the situation closely.Since the Chief Minister's post on X, the death toll has risen further.
Home Minister V Anitha reached the spot and was closely monitoring the situation along with the District Collector and Police Commissioner. She also oversaw the rescue operations in the wall-damaged area.Minister for Endowments Anam Ramanarayana Reddy expressed shock and grief over the incident. 'It is most unfortunate that seven devotees lost their lives in a wall collapse due to heavy rains,' he said in a statement from Amaravati. He assured that orders had been issued to provide the best treatment to the injured and confirmed that an enquiry had been launched into the incident. 'The government will stand by the families of the victims,' he added.advertisementVisuals from earlier in the day showed devotees, including Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman BR Naidu, offering silk clothes (pattu vastras) to the deity.
IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fire at club in Basistha kills man, damages Rs 20k property
Guwahati: A 65-year-old man was charred to death in a fire accident in the city's Basistha area early on Monday morning. According to the report from the Lokhra unit of fire and emergency services, the incident happened at Mahendra Mohan Laheri Sishu Udyan club in Basistha Chariali. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The deceased, identified as Naresh Chahani, was sleeping in one of the rooms at the club. Report states that the fire call was made at 6.25 am, and a fire tender was dispatched to the location, which was approximately 9 kms from the station. The report adds that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A team from Basistha police station was also present at the location. They have initiated an investigation. Basistha PS OC Kapil Pathak said, "We have begun the preliminary investigation, and suspect that the fire might have been caused due to a short circuit. However, we cannot confirm anything as the investigation is ongoing. The body has been handed over to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy." Officials estimate that property worth Rs 20,000 was damaged, while an estimated Rs 9.8 lakh worth of property was saved. "The fire tender returned to the station at 9.02 am after the fire was extinguished and the area was declared safe," an official from the fire and emergency services said.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tiff over cigarette price: Vendor assaults man with helmet
Bengaluru: A late-night argument over the price of a cigarette turned violent when a 29-year-old private firm employee was assaulted by a roadside tea vendor in Basaveshwaranagar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident occurred near Navrang Bridge at 11.50pm on June 4. As per the complaint filed by Kumaraswamy, a senior executive at a private firm, he stopped by a roadside tea vendor to buy a cigarette. Kumaraswamy asked vendor Sanjay, 32, to give him a cigarette for which the latter sought Rs 25. Kumaraswamy questioned why Sanjay was charging Rs 25 when the actual price is Rs 17. He told the vendor that a demand of Rs 20 would be reasonable as it was late. However, Sanjay turned aggressive, stating he charged the same amount every night and told Kumaraswamy to leave if he wasn't willing to pay. Soon the argument heated up and Kumaraswamy questioned whether Sanjay has a licence to sell cigarettes at night. Angered by his question, Sanjay assaulted Kumaraswamy. When Kumaraswamy attempted to retaliate, Sanjay grabbed his helmet and struck him multiple times causing serious injury near his eye. Profusely bleeding, Kumaraswamy was rushed to KC General hospital by his friends. The following day, Kumaraswamy filed a complaint. Basaveshwaranagar police arrested Sanjay and released him on station bail. An officer confirmed that Sanjay had expressed his intention to file a counter-complaint, but since he had assaulted Kumaraswamy and was operating without due permission at night, police warned him against repeating such behaviour.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jaipur cops arrest ‘supplier' with smack worth Rs 1.6cr
Jaipur: Crime branch of Jaipur police Monday arrested a 39-year-old drug trafficker with 530 grams of smack worth Rs 1.6 crore in his possession. Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Kundan Kanwariya said the man was identified as Ram Rup Mali, a native of Sawai Madhopur district. A special police team monitored Mali's movements for some time before intercepting him near Kho Nagoriyan. Officials said he supplied drugs for the past few months to local distributors linked to larger trafficking syndicates. During questioning, Mali reportedly admitted that he sourced the contraband from a man named Sanu Khan, a resident of Aklera in Jhalawar district. He further disclosed that he supplied smack in Jaipur for the past 2–3 months and was working for prominent local traffickers, including Ashok alias Telia Sansi, Vicky Sansi, and Pintu Sansi. Police said Mali supplied the narcotics twice a month, and the payments were transferred to the Jhalawar-based suppliers through e-Mitra platforms to avoid detection. The funds generated from the illegal trade were used to support his personal lifestyle and hobbies, officials added. The crime branch is now tracing the broader network of traffickers operating between Jhalawar and Jaipur. "Efforts are underway to locate other suspects and identify other financial links used in the illegal drug trade. The accused was booked under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is ongoing," Kanwariya said. Jaipur: Crime branch of Jaipur police Monday arrested a 39-year-old drug trafficker with 530 grams of smack worth Rs 1.6 crore in his possession. Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Kundan Kanwariya said the man was identified as Ram Rup Mali, a native of Sawai Madhopur district. A special police team monitored Mali's movements for some time before intercepting him near Kho Nagoriyan. Officials said he supplied drugs for the past few months to local distributors linked to larger trafficking syndicates. During questioning, Mali reportedly admitted that he sourced the contraband from a man named Sanu Khan, a resident of Aklera in Jhalawar district. He further disclosed that he supplied smack in Jaipur for the past 2–3 months and was working for prominent local traffickers, including Ashok alias Telia Sansi, Vicky Sansi, and Pintu Sansi. Police said Mali supplied the narcotics twice a month, and the payments were transferred to the Jhalawar-based suppliers through e-Mitra platforms to avoid detection. The funds generated from the illegal trade were used to support his personal lifestyle and hobbies, officials added. The crime branch is now tracing the broader network of traffickers operating between Jhalawar and Jaipur. "Efforts are underway to locate other suspects and identify other financial links used in the illegal drug trade. The accused was booked under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is ongoing," Kanwariya said.
