Children among 6 killed as temple wall collapses amid storm in Maharashtra
Devotees had gathered at the temple to seek the blessings of the deity. However, strong winds began sweeping through the area towards the evening hours, causing some of them to take shelter beside an under-construction wall.
Six devotees, including some children, were killed and more than a dozen others were injured after an under-construction wall on the premises of a temple collapsed following strong winds and heavy rain in Maharashtra's Sangli district on Tuesday.
People had gathered at the temple to seek the blessings of the deity. The incident took place as strong winds began sweeping through the area towards the evening hours.
To protect themselves from the storm, some devotees took shelter beside a nearby wall that was under construction. As the intensity of the winds increased, a nearby shed made of iron sheets got uprooted and slammed directly onto the wall.
"There were around 350 devotees on the temple premises. In the evening, sudden strong winds accompanied by heavy rains lashed the area, prompting devotees to take shelter along a wall and under tin sheets. The wall and the tin sheets suddenly collapsed, trapping devotees," Sangli Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
While six people died on the spot, at least 20 others were injured. The wounded devotees were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. A wave of grief spread across the entire area in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives. In a post on X, he said, "Deeply pained to hear the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Sangli, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this sad hour. May the injured recover at the earliest."
The police said that Tuesdays usually witness heavy footfall of devotees at the temple.