Simhachalam Temple Tragedy Was Preventable? Contractor Spills Beans

A day after seven people were killed and several others injured in a wall collapse at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam during the annual Chandanotsavam festival, a contractor has revealed startling details.

Responding to queries from the committee set up by the TDP-led NDA government to investigate the incident, contractor Lakshmana Rao stated that he was pressured to undertake the wall construction on short notice.

Rao informed the committee that he initially refused the project, citing the upcoming Chandanotsavam—a religious event that draws over one lakh devotees to the temple—and the insufficient timeline of just six days. However, he said government officials persuaded him, arguing the wall was only a temporary structure. Ultimately, the wall was constructed in just four days.

The ruling alliance is now facing intense criticism following the tragedy. After visiting the bereaved families, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the wall was constructed using substandard materials, such as fly ash bricks instead of reinforced concrete. He blamed the Chandrababu Naidu government for gross negligence, which resulted in the loss of seven lives.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. near the ₹300 ticket counter, as a large number of devotees gathered for a glimpse of the deity in His Nija Rupam. It is suspected that incessant rainfall may have contributed to the collapse of the poorly constructed wall.