Nine Children Killed in Temple Wall Collapse in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar District

Bhopal August 4 2024 : In a tragic incident on Sunday morning, a temple wall collapsed in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, resulting in the deaths of nine children and injuries to several others. The collapse occurred around 8:30 am at the Hardayal temple in Shahpur village during a religious program as part of the Sawan festivities. The wall, which was over 50 years old, weakened due to incessant rainfall, leading to its collapse.

District Collector Deepak Arya confirmed the incident, stating, “The wall fell on the children, due to which nine children died, and two are undergoing treatment in the hospital.” The children who lost their lives were aged between 10 to 15 years.

Rescue operations were immediately launched, with police officers and bulldozers working to remove the debris and rescue those trapped. Visuals from the site showed a chaotic scene as authorities worked tirelessly to clear the rubble.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, where the wall of an abandoned building collapsed on Saturday, killing four children. The state has been grappling with heavy rainfall, which has contributed to these structural failures.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia amount of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the victims. In the Rewa incident, two people were arrested and charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for their involvement in the building collapse.

The Sagar District authorities have assured that all the debris has been removed from the site and that the injured children are receiving medical treatment.