At least six people were killed, and 14 others were injured after a wall in a temple premises collapsed on them due to gusty winds in the Sangli district of Maharashtra on Tuesday, officials said.
The incident took place at the temple located at Motewadi village of Jat taluka in the district. Several devotees had gathered at the temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Margubai Devi Yatra.
The victims were in the temple premises when inclement weather brought stormy winds and rainfall. As a result, the wall collapsed where the devotees were present, trapping several of them, police said.
Authorities and locals immediately began efforts to rescue those trapped and rushed them to a nearby hospital, where 6 of them succumbed to injuries. Three of them were locals, and the other three were from Bijapur taluka.
At least 14 people are still in critical condition and undergoing treatment.
Police reveals how accident occurred
Police said a large number of devotees usually visit the temple on Tuesdays.
"There were around 350 devotees present on the temple premises. In the evening, the area was hit by sudden strong winds and heavy rainfall, following which devotees gathered near a wall and took shelter under tin sheets. The wall and tin sheets suddenly collapsed, trapping several devotees," Sangli Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi said.
Child marriage attempt thwarted in Beed district
In a seperate incident, timely intervention by authorities prevented the marriage of a 17-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Beed district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Moha village of Parli Vaijnath tehsil on Sunday, after which a case was registered against the groom and five family members from both sides.
The action followed a complaint filed by a gram panchayat office bearer.
According to police, the wedding was scheduled to take place around 3 pm on May 10 at a school premises. The minor girl was to be married to a 28-year-old man from Beed tehsil.
Acting on prior information, police reached the venue and stopped the ceremony before it could be completed. During the inquiry, officials found that the girl had not attained the legal age for marriage, making the ceremony a violation of the law.
Following the intervention, police registered a case under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act against the groom, his parents and the girl’s parents.
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