India temple collapse leaves 35 dead, 16 injured
Death toll after floor collapse at Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh state climbs with rescue operations ongoing, local official says.
Rescue and security personnel carry a devotee on a stretcher who was injured after the floor covering a stepwell collapsed at a temple in Indore on March 30, 2023.
At least 35 people have been killed and 16 others injured after the roof of a stepwell collapsed in central India, a local government official said.
The incident occurred in Madhya Pradesh state as devotees gathered at a temple in Indore to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on Thursday, officials said.
"We have rescued 18 people, 35 have been found dead and 16 are injured," Ilayaraja T, a top local government official, told the Reuters news agency on Friday.
At least 75 army and rescue personnel worked through the day to remove debris, using ropes and ladders to pull out people who had fallen into the well, local media reported.
Television footage showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well.
Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars, and policemen using ropes to seal the area.
Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu deity Ram.
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