Jagan to visit kin of Simhachalam temple wall collapse victims

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh opposition leader and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to visit the kin of victims of the Simhachalam temple wall collapse tragedy on Wednesday.

Seven people were crushed to death in the wee hours of Wednesday when a rain-soaked wall collapsed at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam near Visakhapatnam.

"He (Reddy) is scheduled to reach Visakhapatnam around 3 pm and meet the bereaved families to express his heartfelt sympathies," a YSRCP source told PTI.

Reddy expressed deep shock and sorrow over the tragic deaths of the devotees during the Chandanaotsavam celebrations.

The idol of the Simhachalam temple is covered with sandalwood paste throughout the year and is revealed only once a year, which is celebrated as Chandanotsavam.

Calling it a heartbreaking incident, Reddy said it was extremely painful that devotees who had come to witness the divine form of the Lord had to lose their lives in such a tragic manner.

The former CM urged the government to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the accident.

He also appealed to the authorities to extend all necessary support and assistance to the families of the deceased.

The Simhachalam temple disaster comes in the backdrop of a stampede at Tirupati temple in January which claimed the lives of six devotees.