NEW DELHI, April 30 (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, officials said.
The incident took place during the annual Chandanotsavam festival at Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam, about 393 km northeast of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
According to the officials, the 20-foot-long wall fell after heavy rain and gusty winds weakened the structure, thus burying the devotees waiting in the queue to enter the temple.
Vinay Chan, a senior local government official, said all the debris has been cleared.
Following the incident, authorities immediately pressed the state disaster response force personnel into action to carry out rescue efforts at the spot and shift the injured to the hospital.
Meanwhile, authorities have ordered a probe into the incident to understand the cause of the wall collapse. ■
