7 killed in Andhra temple wall collapse, probe panel formed

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday constituted a three-member committee to inquire into the causes for the death of seven people after a wall collapsed on the queue line at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam in Visakhapatnam in the early hours, even as the opposition parties slammed the state government for its failure to ensure adequate safety arrangements for devotees at the temple.

State chief secretary K Vijayanand issued an order appointing the committee, following directions from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a high-level meeting convened after the tragedy. According to the order, the wall collapsed on the hilltop area near the bus stop, approximately 200 metres from the entry point of the ₹300 darshan line.

The committee would be headed by S Suresh Kumar, principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development department and would comprise of inspector general of police (IGP) Ake Ravi Krishna and engineer-in-chief (irrigation) M Venkateswar Rao as members.

“The committee shall submit its preliminary report within 72 hours from the time of issue of this order, and also submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations to the Government within 30 days,” the order said.

It further stated that the committee shall ascertain the sequence of events that led to the collapse of the wall near the temple premises, investigate whether sufficient safety and precautionary measures were taken considering the topography and the likelihood of heavy rain in the area and assess the emergency preparedness of the temple management and local authorities, and the timeliness and adequacy of rescue and relief operations.

The order stated that the committee would recommend disciplinary or legal action against those responsible and suggest immediate safety audit of structures in and around the temple and similar pilgrim centres across the state.

The committee has also been asked to recommend standard operating procedures (SOPs) for construction and maintenance of civil structures, and disaster risk management in religious institutions, especially those located on hill slopes or in ecologically sensitive areas.

The CM, who reviewed the situation via teleconference, announced an ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and ₹3 lakh each to the injured, an official release said.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded that stringent action be taken against those responsible for the mishap at Simhachalam and an ex gratia of ₹1 croreeach be paid to the kin of the family of the deceased.

Jagan, who called on the family members of the victims of Simhachalam accident, alleged that it was the “sheer negligence” of the Naidu government that had claimed the innocent lives of the devotees as the wall which collapsed killing the devotees was constructed without the prescribed format nor were tenders called for.

“The construction of wall was carried out in a hurry and it was not a RCC wall, it was raining and devotees were asked to queue up along the wall which shows the sheer negligence on part of the government,” he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) corporator in Visakhapatnam B Ganga Rao also consoled the kin of the victims at the King George Hospital. He alleged negligence on the part of the authorities as the reason for the human loss.

He questioned the quality of the wall which collapsed due to rain. “The government should take strict action against the persons responsible for the incident,” he said.

State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the wall collapse at Simhachalam temple was an accident and stringent action would be taken against those who were responsible for the construction of the wall. “This is not the time to do politics over deaths. The government will not spare anybody,” she said.

With inputs from PTI