By Enyichukwu Enemanna
No fewer than 35 persons have been feared dead while a dozen of others, were injured in Central India, when the slab covering a temple well, collapsed and people fell inside, local officials said.
The incident occurred as worshippers gathered in Madhya Pradesh state’s Indore city to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on Thursday, the official revealed.
“We have rescued 18 people, 35 have been found dead and 16 are injured,” Ilayaraja T, Indore’s district magistrate, told the Reuters news agency on Friday.
The Times of India Newspaper, said the rescue work was expedited on Thursday night, after underwater cameras showed bodies floating in the muddy waters of the well.
Nearly 140 rescuers used ropes and ladders to pull the bodies from the well, after pumping out the water. A narrow path and debris in the well made the task difficult.
Dozens of people had fallen into the well in the temple complex and were covered by falling debris, Police Commissioner, Makrand Deoskar said.
Temple authorities had stopped using the well years ago and had covered the mouth with iron grills and tiles, officials said.
The state Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, said the structure caved in because it could not handle the weight of the large crowd, Reuters had reported.
Chouhan said, 18 people were rescued and hospitalised with injuries. He ordered an investigation into the incident.
Witnesses said, a large crowd of devotees had thronged the temple to perform a fire ritual to mark the Hindu festival.
Building collapses are common in India because of poor construction and a failure to observe regulations.
