Nine children have died and several others injured in an incident of wall collapse in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district this morning. The tragic incident took place near the Hardaul Baba temple in Shahpur. The injured children have been rescued and hospitalised.
The children, the local administration has said, were making shivlings as part of a religious ceremony at the temple when the wall of a house next to the temple collapsed over them. This house, the administration said, is about 50 years old and was run down by heavy rain.
Rescue work after the incident was carried out by police with the help of local residents. Visuals showed an earthmover at work to remove the rubble after the wall collapse. Top officials have now reached the spot. District officials have said the children were in the 10-15 years age group.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said he is pained by the incident. "I hope those injured recover soon. My condolences with families who lost their children. The government will provide each family with an assistance of Rs 4 lakh," he said.
President Droupadi Murmu described the incident as "heart-rending". "May God gives the bereaved families the strength to endure this pain. I hope for the swift recovery of the injured children," she said in a post on X.
The incident comes a day after four children died in a wall collapse incident in the state's Rewa district. The children, in the 5-7 years age group, were returning from school when the wall collapsed. The owners of the house, the wall of which collapsed, have been arrested.
Incidents of wall collapse are being reported as Madhya Pradesh receives heavy rain. As many as 200 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state this year. About 206 houses have been completely damaged, and 2,403 have suffered partial damage.
