14 fall into well, die as floor collapses
India: At least 14 people have died and 17 rescued after a slab covering a ‘bawdi’ (well) collapsed during a ritual at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on Thursday morning. The temple floor was constructed by laying a concrete slab, supported by iron rods, to cover the bawdi.
The incident took place during a fire ritual at the temple on Ram Navami.
A large number of devotees were present at the Indore temple on the occasion of Ram Navami today. The floor of the temple caved in due to heavy footfall and over 30 worshippers fell into the well, eyewitnesses said.
At least 14 people died and 17 were rescued from the well. Visuals showed devotees being brought out using ropes and ladders. A few children are still missing and efforts are on to rescue them, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said in the evening.
Narrow entry points and the fear of debris from nearby walls collapsing into the water made rescue efforts difficult.
