धर्म-कर्म

Indore temple stepwell collapse: Death toll rises to 35, rescue operation underway

The death toll in the rose to 35 on Friday, an official told news agency PTI. A search operation is underway to rescue one missing person.

More than a 100 devotees were offering prayers at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Indore’s Patel Nagar locality to mark Ram Navami when the floor capping the decades-old well, said to be 50 feet deep, caved in.

“So far 35 bodies have been recovered from the stepwell,” District Collector Dr Ilayaraja T told reporters.

The bodies of all persons, except one, whose names were mentioned in the list of missing persons, have been recovered so far, PTI reported.

The Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Patel Nagar where the tragedy took place had been constructed after covering the well about four decades ago.

Chief Minister on Friday ordered an inquiry and also relief Rs 5 lakh as relief for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

“Due to the heavy load on the stepwell, it sank. I have given instructions to investigate the incident. In this unfortunate incident, the government stands with all those families with full sensitivity, whom we could not save,” he said.