A video clip of the temple complex incident in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state, Thursday, showed chaos ensuing, as people rushed towards the exits, and an excavator demolished a decades-old temple wall to help people escape.
About 140 rescuers, including members of the military, used ropes and ladders to extract the bodies from the well after pumping out the water. The task was difficult due to the narrow path and the presence of debris in the well.
Eyewitnesses stated that a large crowd of devotees gathered in the temple to perform fire rituals and celebrate the festival of Lord Rama.
Police Commissioner Makrand Duoskar said dozens of people fell into the water when the well cap collapsed and they were covered in falling debris.
Kantibhai Patel, head of a sakhan association, told reporters that the authorities were slow to react and that the first ambulance arrived at the scene an hour after the tip.
The state’s chief elected official, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, said the well cap apparently collapsed because it could not bear the weight of the large crowd. He ordered an investigation.
“So far we have recovered 35 bodies and the rescue operation is continuing,” said Illiyaraja Te, an administrative official in the district. The effort was continuing on Friday.
On Thursday evening, army personnel joined the operation and the Times of India reported that rescue work was expedited after underwater cameras showed dead bodies floating in the muddy waters of the well.
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