The death toll after a floor collapsed at a Hindu temple in India had risen to 35 on Friday with rescue operations ongoing, a local official said.
Dozens of worshippers celebrating a major religious holiday on Thursday plunged into the stepwell — a stair-lined communal water source — after the floor covering it collapsed in the central city of Indore.
“Thirty-five people are dead. One person is still missing. Rescue operations are on,” Indore district magistrate Ilayaraja T. said by phone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he was “extremely pained” by news of the accident.
“The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace,” he added. “My prayers with all those affected and their families.”
Modi’s office said compensation payments of 200,000 rupees ($2,400) would be given to next-of-kin.
Narottam Mishra, the home minister of Madhya Pradesh state, told reporters that an investigation had been launched into the mishap.
Police official Manish Kapooriya said rescue efforts were continuing and that the injured were being taken to government hospitals for treatment.
Television footage showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well in Madhya Pradesh state.
Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars as well as police officers 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 Lord Ram.
Deadly accidents are common at worship sites in India during major religious festivities.
At least 112 people died in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display at a temple marking the Hindu new year.
The blast ripped through concrete buildings and ignited a fire at a Hindu temple complex in Kerala state where thousands had gathered.
Another 115 devotees died in 2013 after a stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh.
Up to 400,000 people were gathered in the area, and the stampede occurred after the spread of a rumor that the bridge was about to collapse.
Expressing anguish soon after the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted, “Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families.” An eyewitness said that during the religious programme, there was a huge crowd of devotees on the roof of the bawdi in the temple. As the structure could not bear the load of so many people, it caved in, he said.
After the accident, people gathered around the temple looking for their family members who were present on the premises at the time of the tragedy.
Kantibhai Patel, president of Patel Nagar Residents Association, said no ambulance reached the spot for an hour even after authorities were alerted about the accident.
Local residents said that the temple was built by putting a slab over the ancient bawdi.
Chief Minister Chouhan also spoke to the Indore collector and police commissioner over the phone and directed them to speed up the rescue operation, said an official.
Efforts are on with full might to rescue the trapped people, he added.
