A religious gathering turned tragic in the early hours of Akshaya Tritiya at the Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where a 20-foot-long structure collapsed during the Chandanotsavam festival. At least seven devotees lost their lives in the incident that occurred around 2:30 AM.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh | Visuals from the Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam, where seven people died after a 20-foot-long stretch collapsed during the Chandanotsavam festival pic.twitter.com/q7CWB4vfJr
— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2025
According to eyewitness visuals from the site, the section that collapsed appeared to be heavily crowded at the time, as thousands had gathered for the annual darshan. The festival, held every year, draws a massive turnout of devotees seeking blessings of Lord Narasimha.
Officials Respond, Probe Underway
Former BJP MLC Madhav called the event deeply unfortunate and confirmed that the state government would launch a full investigation. “This is an unfortunate incident that has taken place on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. It occurred at around 2:30 AM. The government will investigate the incident and will compensate the victims,” he stated.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh | BJP former MLC Madhav says, “…This is an unfortunate incident that has taken place on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya…it took place at 2.30 am in morning…The government will investigate the incident and will compensate the victims…” https://t.co/9t3tQrqtvT pic.twitter.com/TgSplGabd8
— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2025
Vinay Chan, Principal Secretary of the Endowments Department, cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the cause. “So it is not appropriate for us to conclude on the reasons for the incident. Prima facie, we have noticed that there was a downpour between 2.30 and 3.30 AM in the early hours. We are investigating the incident,” he said.
He further confirmed that eight people were reported dead as per current information. “All the debris has been cleared… Rescue work has been concluded,” he added.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh | Vinay Chan, Principal Secretary of Endowment Department, says, “So it is not appropriate for us to conclude on the reasons for the incident. Prima facie, we have noticed that there was a downpour between 2.30 and 3.30 am in the early hours. We are… https://t.co/9t3tQrqtvT pic.twitter.com/rdJCCp0DPn
— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2025
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the otherwise auspicious Akshaya Tritiya celebrations. While questions are being raised over safety measures and crowd management, authorities have promised a thorough probe and necessary action.