The death toll from the collapse of part of the floor of a Hindu temple in central India rises to 35

31 (EUROPA PRESS)

The balance of deaths due to the collapse of part of the floor of a Hindu temple in the Indian city of Indore, located in the center of the country, has increased to 35, as confirmed by the authorities, who have indicated that a total of fourteen people They have been rescued after the accident.

“A total of 35 people have died, one is missing and fourteen people have been rescued,” said district magistrate Ilayaraja T., who stressed that “there is an operation to try to find the missing person,” according to the agency. ANI news india.

Thus, he has indicated that search and rescue operations have been active since the moment of the event, around 12:30 p.m. (local time) on Thursday. The temple is located in Sneh Nagar, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Indore.

According to information from the Indian television channel NDTV, the event took place due to the collapse of a large cement slab that covered a well about twelve meters deep due to the presence of dozens of people in the temple during the celebration of the Rama Navami, a Hindu holiday commemorating the birth of the god Rama.

Likewise, the chain has assured that it has obtained documents that show that during the past year the residents of the town informed the private company that owns the temple of the poor condition of the facilities. Local authorities initially ordered the destruction of the slab covering the well, though they backed down due to warnings about possible damage to the religious sentiments of the community.

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. In addition, he has contacted the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh State, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has also joined in condolences and offered funds to compensate the victims of the tragedy.