Tragedy at Simhadri Appanna Swamy Temple During Chandanotsavam

A tragic incident occurred during the Chandanotsavam celebrations of Simhadri Appanna Swamy in Visakhapatnam district. A cement wall near the ₹300 ticket counter collapsed due to heavy wind and rain, resulting in the deaths of 8 devotees and injuries to 4 others.

The accident took place at midnight on Tuesday when a large number of devotees gathered for the deity's special darshan. Among the deceased were three women and five men. Emergency services including the NDRF team quickly reached the spot and began rescue operations.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, District Collector Harendira Prasad, and City Police Commissioner Sankhabrata Bagchi visited the location and monitored the rescue work. Injured persons were shifted to hospital and the deceased were taken to Visakhapatnam KGH for postmortem.