Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of lives following the collapse of a wall at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, 30 April 2025, claiming at least eight lives and injuring four others.
Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister extended his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
“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,” the Prime Minister’s post read.
The fatal incident occurred around 3:30 am as thousands of devotees assembled for Chandanotsavam, the annual festival that offers darshan of the deity in Nijaroopa (true form). The collapse took place next to a special Rs 300 darshan queue, adjacent to a shopping complex near the Simhagiri Bus Stand.
According to preliminary reports, torrential rain and strong winds between 2:30 am and 3:30 am are suspected to have saturated the recently built wall in Simhachalam Temple premises, causing it to collapse under pressure from a sudden water surge. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who visited the site, confirmed that early findings pointed to rainwater accumulation as a possible cause of the structural failure.
Emergency teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities responded swiftly. The debris was cleared, and the injured were rushed to King George Hospital for treatment.
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