Stepwell roof collapse kills 35, injures 16 in India
Thirty-five people were killed and 16 were injured after the roof of a stepwell in a temple complex collapsed in India, a local police official said on Friday.
The incident occurred in the central Indian city of Indore after a concrete slab covering the roof of a stepwell in a temple complex collapsed, crushing devotees who had gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on Thursday, officials said.
Stepwells are a common feature across India, built hundreds of years ago, many of them ornately decorated, with access to a body of water through stairs and niches.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the central Indian state where Indore is located, told reporters that a slab covering the stepwell collapsed due to the crowd and "extra load" on it. One person is still missing, he added.
Reuters
