Update 31 March, 10:06 am: According to the latest updates by the Indore collector Dr. Illayaraja T, the death toll in the incident rises to 35, one missing and 14 have been rescued so far. The rescue operations started on Thursday noon and are still going on, as per local officials. A team of 75 army personnels along with NDRF, SDRF are conducting the operations.The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.Two Incidents During Ram Navami: 13 Dead, Several Injured In Indore Stepwell Collapse Massive Fire At Temple In Andhra PradeshDuring the Ram Navami festival on Thursday, the roof of an ancient bavdi (a stepwell) located at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple fell in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It is believed that almost 25 people may have fallen inside the stepwell. An official announced that a rescue effort has been started to save persons who are thought to be trapped. Reportedly, 13 people are died and many people including women and children feared trapped, following the collapse. According to a witness, the ancient wells roof collapsed as a result of the vast number of people who had congregated there since it could not support the weight.The incident took place during the Ram Navami celebrations at the temple. According to the information, police and locals were seen rescuing the devotees trapped inside the well during the operation. Reportedly, the incident occurred at around 12 pm when devotees were offering prayers on auspicious occasion.According to the latest updates, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has announced the compensation of Rs 5 lakh to dead and Rs 50,000 help to injuredShivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, is said to have taken notice of the event and ordered local officials to expedite the rescue effort. The official statement says “Chief Minister Office is in constant touch with the Indore district administration. All the top officials 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 Chief Minister said, “Its an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine are trapped and will be rescued. Efforts are underway to rescue other people.”Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the mishap through his tweet, “Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families.”According to the reports, a mass of devotees gathered at the roof of the well, which was unable to bear the load of the people and collapsed. Rescue operations by local police are still on and administration is keeping eye on the situation. And, meanwhile, probe has been ordered in the incident by Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra.Fire broke out at temple in Andhra PradeshMeanwhile, another incident on the occasion of Ram Navami from Andhra Pradesh was also reported. In the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradeshs Duva village, a huge fire broke out at a Venugopala Swamy temple. The devotees gathered here to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. The fire has been erupted due to a short circuit reportedly. As the pandal caught fire, panic ensued people to escape the temple premises. People noticed the blaze and evacuated themselves. Yet no casualties have been notified so far.Both the incidents happened when entire country performs puja at Ram Navami.
