NEW DELHI, April 30 (Bernama-Xinhua) — At least eight people were killed and several others injured Wednesday after a wall collapsed on them during festival celebrations at a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Xinhua reported.
Officials said the incident took place during the annual Chandanotsavam festival at Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam, about 393km northeast of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
According to the officials, the 6.1m-long wall fell after heavy rain and gusty winds weakened the structure, burying the devotees queuing to enter the temple.
Vinay Chan, a senior local government official, said all the debris has been cleared.
Following the incident, authorities immediately ordered the state disaster response team to carry out rescue efforts and send the injured to the hospital.
A probe is underway to understand the cause of the wall collapse.
— BERNAMA-XINHUA