PILGRIMAGE BECOMES A NIGHTMARE AT SIMHACHALAM

Four of family, including a young techie couple, die in temple wall collapse; kin of victims vent anger on authorities for failing to make adequate arrangements

- USHA PERI @ 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 ₹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.