Cuddalore, September 8, 2013: A portion of a newly-erected retaining wall atop Oushadhagiri, the hillock on which renowned Lakshmi Hayagriva temple is situated at Thiruvahindrapuram, gave way and the debris rolled down the steps, killing the temple watchman and injuring three others on Friday night.

The hillock is opposite Sri Devanatha Swamy temple, one of the 108 Divya Desams. As there was heavy rain, soil on the hillock reportedly got eroded, resulting in a part of the retaining wall collapsing .

When watchman Selvaraj (59) was coming down the steps, rubble and slush fell on him, killing him on the spot. D. Devanathan (33) and R. Prasanna (23) rushed to his rescue. However, the two persons and Ramani, manager of Vijaya Bank who happened to visit the temple at that time, were hit by another portion of the wall that crumbled. Fire personnel cleared the rubble.

The injured were admitted to a private hospital. Sub-Collector Lalitha and Executive Officer of the temple Nagaraj visited the spot. Ms Lalitha told The Hindu that PWD officials had been instructed to test the stability of the remaining portion of the retaining wall.

Source: The Hindu, September 8, 2013