The death of seven devotees after a wall collapsed on a queue line at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in the early hours of Wednesday has come as yet another shock for Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
According to preliminary reports, the newly constructed wall had become waterlogged due to heavy rainfall the previous night and collapsed under the pressure of the crowd.
The devotees were waiting in line for a special darshan, having paid ₹300 per ticket. The wall, located adjacent to a shopping complex on the path from the Simhagiri Bus Stand, gave way after the soil beneath it loosened due to the rain.
This Simhachalam incident marks the second major temple tragedy this year, following the stampede in Tirupati during the Vaikuntha Ekadasi festivities on January 18.
In recent months, there have also been reports of devotees facing difficulties at other temples such as Annavaram, Srisailam, and even Pithapuram.
Unsurprisingly, these repeated mishaps have sparked discussions on social media, with some questioning whether temples and major Hindu religious gatherings have become jinxed for Naidu.
Many have also recalled the tragic stampede in July 2015 during the Godavari Pushkaralu in Rajahmundry, where 29 pilgrims died while Naidu was visiting for a holy dip.
In all three major incidents, administrative failures have been blamed for the casualties, particularly the lack of proper crowd management and safety measures.
In the Tirupati tragedy, an inquiry confirmed that the stampede occurred due to lapses by local officials, police, and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration.
In the Simhachalam case as well, preliminary inquiries have revealed that the collapsed wall was recently built, and officials allegedly failed to ensure construction quality.
“The wall collapsed due to compromised construction standards,” a local official stated.
