New Delhi: Thirteen people have died after falling into a temple’s stepwell in Indore in Madhya Pradesh Thursday during the Ram Navami celebrations.
The accident happened at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the city’s Patel Nagar area, when the shrine was bursting with devotees.
Many people, among them women and children, were sitting on the stepwell’s roof when it collapsed taking them all down.
Eleven died inside the well, while two of the nineteen rescued later succumbed to injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he was updated on the situation by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “My prayers with all those affected and their families,” he said.
Chouhan termed the incident “extremely unfortunate” and said the government worked with the administration and social workers to save as many victims as it could.
He said: “We could pull out 19 from the well, of whom one was very critical. It is very unfortunate that we could not save eleven, who were brought out dead. The well was old. It gave way due to the weight of the crowd. I have ordered an inquiry. The government mourns with the families of the deceased and will pay them Rs 5 lakh each. Rs 50,000 will be paid to the injured.”
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said another devotee from the 19 rescued had died. He also said of the 11 dead in the well, ten were women.
Also read: Fire triggers stampede at slum cluster in Delhi’s Sultanpuri; 8 injured