NEW DELHI, June 20: At least five people were killed and 18 others were injured as portion of a temple collapsed in Maharashtra’s Parbhani on Saturday afternoon.
Around 40 devotees were trapped after the roof of the under-construction sabha mandap collapsed at the Yashwadi Maruti Temple. The under-construction sabha mandap roof located in front of the temple suddenly collapsed while a large number of devotees were present at the premises.
“The slab of the temple’s ‘sabha-mandap’ (outer hall) collapsed around 3.30 pm. The police and district administration have sent their teams, and a rescue operation is underway. Around 25 people have been brought out from under the debris so far,” officials said. It being a Saturday, a day associated with Lord Hanuman, the temple had seen a rush of devotees, officials said. The rescue teams and local authorities rushed to the spot for the rescue operation.
While the exact cause of the roof collapse was not known, the assembly hall had reportedly been under construction for the past several days and the collapse incident has raised serious concerns over the quality of construction and adherence to safety norms at the site.
The Prime Minster Narendra Modi expressed grief at the roof collapse. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the wall collapse in Parbhani, Maharashtra. My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured,” PM Modi said on X.
The Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a message said, “Some devotees have lost their lives in a tragic incident where a portion of the roof of a Hanuman temple—currently under construction—collapsed in Yashwadi, Parbhani district. I pay my heartfelt tributes to the deceased devotees. I share the grief of the bereaved families. Medical treatment is underway for those injured in the accident. Officials from the local administration are present at the site, and relief and rescue operations are being carried out expeditiously,” he said.
The local MP Sanjay Jadhav said, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at the revered Yashwadi temple in Parbhani district. Reports indicate that several devotees have been injured and some have lost their lives in this incident. I urge the District Collector and the administration to provide maximum assistance to the affected people; whatever help is required will be provided by the state government,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
