New Delhi (EFE) work in the area continues.
According to the relief teams and the Army, “35 people have died” so far, as reported to the press by Ilayaraja T, an official from Indore, where the accident took place.
The official added that there is at least one person missing and the operation to rescue them is ongoing.
Compensation for victims
The event took place yesterday afternoon, after the floor of the Beleshwar Mahadev temple, located in the city of Indore, gave way and dozens of people fell into a well in the middle of the celebrations of the festival known as Ram Navami, which marks the birth of the Hindu god Ram.
“Since the well collapsed and there was also water in the well, people also drowned,” said Ilayaraja T.
The head of government of the region, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, specified yesterday before the media that the collapse of the infrastructure was due to excess weight, overcrowding and the heavy footsteps of people passing by and reported the opening of an investigation.
The regional authority offered financial compensation of 500,000 rupees (about $6,000) to the families of the victims and 50,000 rupees (about $600) to each of the injured, in addition to free medical treatment.
Accidents such as stampedes or collapses in temple infrastructures are common in India, especially during religious celebrations, due to the large number of people who attend these events and the few security measures for crowd control.
One of the worst such tragedies occurred on January 25, 2005, when at least 258 people were killed during a Hindu pilgrimage in the western state of Maharashtra.