BHOPAL — At least 35 people were killed and 18 injured after the roof of a stepwell collapsed at a Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.
The incident occurred in Madhya Pradesh state as devotees gathered at a temple in Indore to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on Thursday, officials said.
“We have rescued 18 people, 35 have been found dead and 18 are injured,” Ilayaraja T, a top local government official, told the Reuters news agency on Friday.
At least 75 army and rescue personnel worked through the day to remove debris, using ropes and ladders to pull out people who had fallen into the well, local media reported.
Television footage showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well.
Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu deity Ram.