(New Delhi) At least 13 Hindu worshipers died and about 10 more were rescued after a floor collapsed at a temple in India on Thursday, police said.
About 25 worshipers fell into a bâoli, a well lined with stairs used for religious rituals, when the temple floor, which covered it, gave way under their weight.
The accident happened in the city of Indore, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
“Police found 11 bodies in the well and two people died of their injuries in hospital,” Madhya Pradesh state home minister Narottam Mishra told reporters.
He added that an investigation had been opened into the accident.
Police official Manish Kapooriya told AFP that rescue operations were continuing as the survivors were taken to hospital.
Television footage showed rescuers setting up ropes and ladders to reach people trapped in the well.
Temples across India were overflowing with worshipers on the Ram Navami festival, celebrating the birthday of the Hindu deity Rama.
