DJ music likely caused wall crash that killed 9 children
Nine children aged between 8 to 15 years lost their lives when a wall collapsed in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district. The children were sitting next to the wall of a dilapidated house during a religious ceremony at the neighboring Hardaul Baba temple when the incident took place. According to reports, the house, approximately 50 years old and owned by Mulu Patel, was precariously supported by bamboo beams.
Loud DJ music allegedly triggers fatal wall collapse
The tragedy occurred around 9:00am when loud music from a DJ setup began playing at the temple. The children were crafting small clay shivlings as part of the Bhagwat Katha religious event when the wall, already weakened by heavy rain, collapsed on them. Local residents believe that the vibrations from the loud music caused the already damaged wall to fall.
Government response
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his grief over the incident and announced financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased children. In response to the tragedy, district collector Deepak Arya, police chief Abhishek Tiwari, and two officials from Shahpur municipality were removed from their posts for negligence. Cases have been registered against the house owner and religious ceremony organizers Shiv Patel and Sanjeev Patel, who are now in custody.
What do experts say
Dr Rakesh Gupta, an ENT specialist, supported the claim that loud music vibrations could have contributed to the wall's collapse. He stated that such vibrations can further weaken walls dampened by rain and are extremely harmful for humans. Dr Gupta warned, "DJ music's sound levels are often higher than 145 decibels. This creates intense vibrations."
Government action on loud music
The incident has drawn attention to the issue of loud music at religious places, a key focus area for the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Yadav, who had previously banned the use of loudspeakers above permitted decibel levels, extended this crackdown to DJ systems frequently used at religious events. He has now directed officers to identify dilapidated buildings across the state and take action to prevent such incidents from recurring.
