Five dead, 18 injured after under-construction temple roof collapses in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Opened to devotees before it was even structurally complete, an under-construction Hanuman temple in Parbhani district turned into a death trap on Saturday afternoon, when its roof suddenly collapsed, killing five people and injuring 18 others at Yashwadi in Manavat taluka
By Prasad Joshi
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Opened to devotees before it was even structurally complete, an under-construction Hanuman temple in Parbhani district turned into a death trap on Saturday afternoon, when its roof suddenly collapsed, killing five people and injuring 18 others at Yashwadi in Manavat taluka around 1.30pm.Parbhani collector Sanjaysinh Chavan has ordered a structural audit and an official inquiry, and banned further entry into the temple. “The sanctum sanctorum was ready, but the outer structure was still under construction.
Heavy marble blocks used for the roof and adjoining structures suddenly collapsed,” he told TOI.The deceased have been identified as Sanotsh Gadade, Akash Surdose, Numesh Agrawal and Suraj Kopratkar, all residents of Parbhani district, as well as Shrikrushna Gaware, a resident of Chinchwadgaon in Beed district.The temple was crowded with devotees on Saturday when the structure gave way.
Local residents pointed to possible lapses in construction. “Wooden scaffolding was used instead of metal.
It had weakened over time.
That may have caused the collapse.
The contractor must be held responsible,” a resident said.Rescue teams rushed to the site with five heavy machines and around 50 ambulances. “Many devotees were trapped under the debris.
Rescue workers pulled them out and shifted all injured to nearby hospitals,” said Manwat tehsildar Pandurang Mochewad.The CCTV footage of the accident was circulated widely on social media, drawing large crowds and forcing police to step in for crowd control.Parbhani guardian minister Meghana Bordikar said the injured people were under close medical supervision. “An official inquiry will establish the cause.
The temple was opened to devotees on local request despite ongoing construction.
We will ensure the remaining work is completed soon,” she said.Mourning the deaths, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that state govt will provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief. “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,” the PMO said in a post on X.Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
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