In Andhra Pradesh, seven people lost their lives and about 15 were injured after a wall adjacent to the queue line collapsed at the Simhachalam Temple near Visakhapatnam. According to reports, the wall collapsed after a tent fell on it due to heavy rain in the early hours today. The NDRF and SDRF teams are actively involved in rescue and relief measures. The injured have been shifted to the hospital for treatment. The Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the district administration are monitoring the situation.

Many devotees thronged to the Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simahachalam to witness the auspicious ’ Chandanotsavam’ event. The Chandanotsavam is an annual event during which the devotees get the darshan of Lord Lakshmi Narasimham Swamy in ‘Nija-roopam’, meaning that the idol is presented without the coat of sandalwood paste. Only on this day every year, the idol, which is otherwise smeared with sandalwood paste, is presented without the coat as it is removed to initiate the fresh sandalwood paste application process.