At least twelve dead from the collapse of the ground in a temple in central India

March 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least twelve people have died after the floor of a Hindu temple collapsed this Thursday in the Indian town of Indore, in the center of the country, according to a preliminary balance of victims confirmed by local authorities.

More than 30 people fell into the void after the ground separating the central part of the Beleshwar Mahadev temple from the shrine below broke. A large part of the people rescued alive have been transferred to hospitals in the area, according to the NDTV network.

The events have coincided with the celebration of Rama Navami, a Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of the god Rama and that apparently had gathered a large number of faithful in the area.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his regret over what happened and has offered the help of the central government to regional authorities. “My prayers are with all those affected and their families,” he said on Twitter.

Modi has contacted Madhya Pradesh state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has also joined in the condolences and offered money to compensate the victims for the tragedy.