Thirteen people died in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city after the roof of a stepwell collapsed at a temple on Thursday, ANI reported.
The incident took place at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple during a ritual on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narrotam Mishra said that over 30 devotees had fallen into the stepwell.
“Eleven bodies have been recovered, of which 10 were women and one man,” Mishra said, according to ANI. “Of the 19 people who were rescued, two died. So, a total of 13 have died. An order has been given to probe into the incident.”
Visuals shared on social media show that the floor of the stepwell caved in owing to heavy footfall, reported NDTV. It also showed devotees being brought out using ropes and ladders.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced that a compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed anguish over the incident.
“Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and took an update on the situation,” he wrote in a tweet. “The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers are with all those affected and their families.”
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