Flooring collapse in Indian temple kills 36

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Rescuers looking for bodies in the well. Associated Press

Flooring collapse in Indian temple kills 36

Rescuers used ropes and ladders to pull bodies from muddy water in a Hindu temple on Thursday after the cover of a stepwell collapsed. Another 16 people were injured in the incident, which took place in the central Indian city of Indore during a festival. Authorities accounted for everyone by Friday, said Pawan Kumar Sharma, commissioner of the local municipal corporation. About 80 people were in the temple when the cover collapsed, Reuters reported.

Why did the cover collapse? The concrete-slab cover caved in because it was not strong enough to hold the crowd, said the state’s top elected official, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He has ordered an investigation, and police have brought a case of culpable homicide against temple leaders. Stepwells are common across India, allowing people to access the water through stairs and niches.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift on a suspension bridge that collapsed in India and the ensuing investigation.

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