At least 35 people died this Friday after the collapse of the floor of a Hindu temple in India. According to the AFP news agency, search and rescue operations are continuing and one person is still missing.
“Thirty-five people have died. One person is still missing. Rescue operations are ongoing,” Indore District Judge Ilayaraja T told AFP.
There are still several injured who were taken to the hospital.
The temple was built on top of a well, to which the faithful accessed by a ladder for a sacred bath. The entire structure collapsed and witnesses quoted by AFP described the scene of the tragedy as a tangle of steel.
This accident occurred during an important religious holiday, in Indore, in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he is “extremely hurt” by the news of the collapse.
“The state government is leading the rescue and relief work at a fast pace,” said the Indian head of government, offering condolences to the families of the victims.
According to Modi’s office, compensation of 200,000 rupees (about 2,200 euros) will be paid to the next of kin of the fatalities.
Narottam Mishra, the Home Minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, said an investigation has been launched into the causes of the accident.
Fatal accidents are common in places of worship in India during major religious holidays. In 2016, more than 100 people were killed when fireworks exploded at a temple to mark the Hindu New Year. Three years earlier, in 2013, another 115 people were killed in a stampede on a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh.
Source: TSF
