PARBHANI: Five devotees died and at least 17 others were injured when the roof of an under-construction Hanuman temple collapsed at Yashwadi in Manavat taluka of Parbhani district on Saturday afternoon.The injured are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, and one of them is in critical condition, officials from the district administration said.“The temple was crowded on Saturday. The exact cause behind the mishap is yet to be ascertained. A fleet of five heavy machines and around 50 ambulances were made available at the site of the tragedy for rescue and relief work,” Manwat tehsildar Pandurang Mochewad said.Parbhani district guardian minister Meghana Bordikar said all necessary financial assistance would be provided to the injured and the families of the victims.“Large pieces of Rajasthani pink stone, which were very heavy, were used for the construction of the temple. These stones, supported by scaffolding, fell on devotees. The temple was opened for devotees despite being under construction following requests from locals,” she said.CCTV footage of the mishap went viral on social media, attracting a large crowd of locals and prompting police to undertake crowd management measures.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office said,”The loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Parbhani, Maharashtra, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap. May the injured recover at the earliest.”Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis offered condolences to the victims’ families and said, “In a tragic incident in Yashwadi, Parbhani district, part of the roof under construction at the Hanuman temple collapsed, resulting in the deaths of some devotees. I offer my heartfelt condolences to them. We share in the grief of their families. The injured in this incident are receiving treatment. Local administration officials are at the scene, and relief and rescue operations are also underway swiftly.“The chief minister also announced that the state government would provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.
Do you think that the emotional distress caused to devotees in places of worship is often overlooked?
