Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the death of seven devotees after a wall collapsed during the Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Chandanotsavam. He said that the incident has shaken him and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
He revealed that the accident occurred due to heavy rains and that he had spoken to the District Collector and SP about the situation. He said that he had ordered better treatment for the injured. CM Chandrababu said on Twitter that he is reviewing the situation from time to time.
CM Chandrababu held a teleconference with top officials and ministers on the Simhachalam accident. Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, DBV Swamy, Anitha, Anagani Satya Prasad, MP Bharat, and Ashok Gajapathi Raju participated in this teleconference. The officials explained to him about the reasons for the incident, the assistance being provided at the field level and other issues.
In this context, Chandrababu announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 25 lakhs to the families of the deceased and Rs. 3 lakhs to the injured. He said that the affected family members should be provided with job opportunities through outsourcing in temples under the Endowment Department. The CM ordered a three-member committee to investigate the wall collapse incident.
On the other hand, official sources say that the Chief Minister is likely to visit KGH to meet the families of those who died in the incident. The police are examining the security arrangements to this extent.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said that he was deeply shocked to know that 7 devotees who were in the queue died due to the wall collapse in Simhachalam. He said that it is unfortunate that this tragedy occurred during the Chandanotsavam festival. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. He said that the state government will support them.
Minister for Endowments Anam Ramnarayana Reddy expressed grief over the horrific accident in Simhachalam and expressed his deep condolences to the deceased. He said that orders have been issued to provide better treatment to the injured immediately. He said that it is extremely unfortunate that seven devotees lost their lives when a wall collapsed due to heavy rain on Tuesday. He said that rescue operations are underway and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.