Temple wall collapses in Madhya Pradesh, 9 children buried alive
What's the story
Nine children were killed and several others sustained injuries after a temple wall collapsed in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday.
The 50-year-old wall of the Hardayal temple gave way amidst heavy rainfall.
The tragedy occurred while earthen shivlings were being made at the Hardayal temple for Sawan festivities, India Today reported.
All the debris has now been removed, and those children who were injured are receiving treatment, Sagar Collector Deepak Arya said.
Official response
Chief Minister expresses grief, announces financial aid
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed his sorrow over the incidents, stating, "I am saddened to hear the news of 9 innocent children dying due to the collapse of the wall of a dilapidated house due to heavy rains in Shahpur of Sagar district."
"The families of the deceased children will be given a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each by the government," he wrote on X.
Prior incident
Previous wall collapse incident claims four lives
This tragic event follows a similar incident in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district just a day prior, where four children aged between five to seven years were killed.
The victims were returning home from school when a wall of an abandoned building collapsed on them.
Following this incident, the owners of the house where the wall collapsed, Ramesh Namdev and Satish Namdev, were arrested.
Weather impact
Heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh leads to multiple collapses
Madhya Pradesh has been grappling with heavy rainfall in recent days, resulting in multiple incidents of wall collapse.
This year alone, approximately 200 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across the state.
The severe weather has also caused significant property damage, with around 206 houses completely destroyed and an additional 2,403 suffering partial damage.