Simhachalam Temple tragedy: Here are 10 points

Visakhapatnam: Eight devotees are feared dead and several others injured after a newly constructed wall collapsed at the Simhachalam Temple premises in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday morning.

What happened in Simhachalam?

1. On April 30, at 2 PM, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the temple's hereditary trustee, completed the ceremonial first darshan and presented the Chandanam to the Lord, followed by VIP visits at 2.30 PM.

2. Around 2 lakh devotees are expected to visit Simhachalam to witness the ‘Nijaroopa darshanam’ ceremony when the thick sandalwood covering on the idol will be removed.

3. The incident occurred at 2.55 AM on Wednesday near the Rs 300 ticket queue line. The wall was constructed around 20 days ago.

4. Devotees waiting in the queue for the Nijarupa Darshanam of Lord Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, got scared after 20-foot long wall collapsed.

5. At around 3.05 pm, personnel from the State and National Disaster Response Force began rescue operations.

6. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha who visited the spot said the wall is also surrounded by earthen revetment. Due to heavy rains and gusty winds, soil might have loosened and weakened the structure.

7. The teams recovered the bodies stuck in the debris and shifted to KGH.

8. The government announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the deceased families and Rs 3 lakh for the injured. He also directed that a member from each bereaved family be given an outsourcing job under the Endowments Department.

9. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu ordered an inquiry into the incident. A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.