New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday expressed grief on the loss of lives due to the Vishakapatnam wall collapse.

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Murmu also prayed for the recovery of the injured.

Taking to X, the President in a post wrote 'Saddened by the loss of lives including those of women in a wall collapse incident in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families. May the injured recover soon.'

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu also expressed profound shock over the incident and instructed authorities to ensure the immediate provision of emergency medical services for the injured.

CM Naidu further added that a large number of devotees had gathered to see the Nija Rupam (true form of the Lord) on Wednesday, a wall collapsed in the queue due to heavy rain at midnight, due to which some devotees lost their lives.

Soon after learning of the incident, Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference with the Ministers, including Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Vangalapudi Anitha, Anagani Satya Prasad, Bharat Ram, and the trustee of the Simhachalam temple, Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

The Chief Minister inquired about the details of the incident and the medical assistance being provided to the injured. He also ordered an inquiry, forming a three-member committee to investigate the cause of the incident.

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, CM Naidu announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and also stated that one member from each family will be employed on an outsourcing basis in the temples under the purview of the Endowments Department.

Similarly, Rs 3 lakh will be paid as assistance to those who are injured, the CM Naidu said and assured the affected families that the State Government will certainly stand by them.

The Chief Minister also ordered that the debris be removed immediately to prevent any inconvenience to the devotees.

Earlier today, a 20-foot-long makeshift structure collapsed during the Chandanotsavam festival at the Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam, claiming eight people's lives and injuring four people.

Search and rescue operations are underway by the teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force, an official said. According to an SDRF jawan, the incident occurred around 2.30 am. (ANI)