A stepwell at a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore collapsed on Thursday, trapping many people. According to eyewitnesses, the roof of an ancient ‘bavdi’ (a large well) located in Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Indore collapsed during the Ram Navami festival, causing nearly 25 people to fall inside.
According to PTI, a large number of people had gathered on the ancient bavdi’s roof, which caved in due to its inability to bear the load.
Police and locals were seen attempting to rescue devotees trapped in the collapsed stepwell in a video shared by news agency ANI.
According to his office, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken cognizance of the incident and directed local authorities to expedite the rescue operation.
“CMO is in constant touch with the Indore district administration. Top officers of Indore Police and district administration are present at the spot. Efforts are being made to evacuate the devotees. Some people have also been rescued,” the statement read.
A total of 18 people have been rescued and taken to the hospital from the stepwell, with seven still trapped.
According to CMO, the administration, including police, district administration, and SDRF, was present on the scene for the rescue operation, and several ambulances were deployed.
