The death toll rose to 35 on Friday after a floor collapsed at a Hindu temple in India, and rescue efforts are underway to find one missing person, local officials told AFP.
In the central city of Indore, dozens of worshipers who were celebrating a major religious holiday fell into a stepwell. It is a stair-lined communal water source lined with steps that – the floor covers. This in turn led to the collapse of the pavement.
A witness at the scene told AFP that rescuers were working to determine whether or not one more person reported missing had also fallen down the well.
“Thirty-five people are dead. One person is still missing. Rescue operations are on,” Indore district magistrate Ilayaraja T. told AFP by phone.
Women, children and an 18-month-old baby were among those standing on the grill covering the well when it buckled and gave way. It plunged them into about 7.5 metres (25 feet) of water, as reported by the Times of India newspaper.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he was “extremely pained” by news of the accident.
“The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace,” he added. “My prayers with all those affected and their families.”
Modi’s office said compensation payments of 200,000 rupees ($2,400) would be given to the next of kin.
Narottam Mishra, home minister of Madhya Pradesh state, told reporters that an investigation had been launched into the mishap.
Television footage on Thursday showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well in Madhya Pradesh state.
Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars. They also show police officers using ropes to seal the area.
Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami. This is the birthday of the Hindu deity Lord Ram.
Deadly accidents are common at worship sites in India during major religious festivals.
At least 112 people died in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display at a temple. The fireworks were intended to be used in marking the Hindu new year. The blast ripped through concrete buildings. It basically ignited a fire at a temple complex in Kerala state where thousands had gathered.
Another 115 devotees died in 2013 after a stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh. Up to 400,000 people were gathered in the area. The stampede reportedly occurred after the spread of a rumour that the bridge was about to collapse.
Also in 2008, 224 pilgrims died and more than 400 others were injured in a stampede at a hilltop temple in the northern city of Jodhpur.
cc: Guardian Ng
