Indore Beleshwar Mahadev temple mishap: Locals allege well was covered by weak roof slab

Locals alleged that accident took place as the roof slab built without any beam column was placed on the stepwell and collapsed after a large crowd gathered on it.

Indore: Shocking allegations of negligence against the authorities of Beleshwar Mahadev temple where at least 11 people have died after falling into a stepwell when the makeshift roof over it collapsed under the crowds' weight has come to the fore. Locals alleged that some functionaries of the temple had put a roof slab to cover the stepwell and the two edges of the slab were placed on the railing of the well.

They further alleged that the roof slab which was put over the stepwell was not robust enough to sustain the weight of the large crowd as it was not built using a beam-column. Unaware of the danger scores of people started gathering on the roof slab for sitting and performing havan. As the size of the crowd kept increasing the roof slab was gradually reaching its breaking point.

Gradually, the number of people on the roof slab reached 100. By then the roof slab has reached its breaking point and before people could realize what is happening the roof slab and the railing collapsed under the crowd's weight resulting in several people falling into the stepwell.

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Locals said that while people sitting near the railing somehow managed to save themselves from falling to their death those who were sitting on the central part of the slab were not so lucky. Several people were unable to escape from the well as devotees fell on top of them.

Those who were able to recover from the initial shock of falling into the stepwell were unable to climb out of it because of the iron rods on the roof slab and the debris. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced assistance of Rs 400,000 to the families of those killed in the incident. Separate financial assistance will also be provided to the injured.

A section of the locals said that if the accident took place on the day of Mahashivaratri the death toll would have been much higher as the crowd would have been much larger. As for the reason behind the incident, the State Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.