The death toll from the collapse of the floors of a Hindu temple in India rose to 36 on Friday after rescuers found the body of the last person still being sought, police told AFP.
Dozens of worshipers fell on Thursday into a bâoli, a stair-lined well used for religious rituals, when the floor of the temple, which covered it, collapsed under its weight.
The accident occurred in the city of Indore, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
“Seventeen people were rescued yesterday (Thursday). Thirty-six bodies were recovered,” police officer Manish Kapooria told AFP.
Women, children and an 18-month-old baby lying on the floor of the temple buckled before collapsing, dropping them to the bottom of the 7.5-metre-deep pit, the Times of India newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
Open investigation
“The government is conducting rescue and relief operations at a steady pace,” he added. “My prayers go out to everyone affected and their families.”
Relatives of the victims will receive 200,000 rupees (2,230 euros) in compensation, Modi’s office said.
An investigation has been opened into the accident, Narottam Mishra, home minister of Madhya Pradesh state, confirmed to the press.
Police official Manish Kapooriya told AFP that rescue operations were continuing while survivors were being taken to hospital.
Television footage showed rescuers setting up ropes and ladders to reach people trapped in the well.
Frequent accidents
Temples across India fill with devotees on the occasion of the Ram Navami festival, celebrating the birthday of the Hindu god Rama.
In India, fatal accidents often occur in places of worship during religious holidays.
In 2016, at least 112 people died when a fireworks warehouse explosion started a massive fire near a Hindu temple in Kerala state.
Three years earlier, 115 Hindus were killed following a mob on a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh state.
The stampede occurred following rumors that the bridge had collapsed, while 400,000 people had gathered in the area.
In 2008, a stampede killed 224 people and injured more than 400 pilgrims at a hilltop temple in the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, northern India.
