At least nine children died when a crumbling house’s wall collapsed on them during a religious ceremony in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on August 4. Four children were injured, and their condition is reported to be critical.
Incident occurred during a religious ceremony
The tragedy occurred when children were participating in a religious ceremony in Shahpur, making earthen Shivlings in the premises of the Hardayal Temple. According to Sagar Collector Deepak Arya, severe rainfall caused the wall of a damaged house to collapse. The wall was said to be fifty years old.
Several students took part in the event because their schools were closed on Sunday, a holiday.
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Bulldozer deployed to find trapped children
A bulldozer was deployed to locate the children trapped in the wreckage. The children were found, and the area was cleared of debris.
“The children were sitting in a tent on the temple grounds when a wall crashed on them. The wall’s foundation weakened as a result of recent rainfall. The incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. Nine children died after being buried under the debris of a wall in Sagar,” Sagar Collector Deepak Arya stated.
“Some children are injured and are receiving treatment. All debris has been removed from the scene of the incident,” he added.
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Former state minister Gopal Bhargava reaches accident site
When Rahli MLA and former state minister Gopal Bhargava learned of the accident, he went to Shahpur to assess the situation. District administration officials and police personnel also arrived.
The bodies of the children were transported to Sagar District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
4 lakh compensation announced for the families of each victim
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said he was “saddened” to hear of the nine children’s deaths and that the state government will provide the victims’ families with Rs 4 lakh each.
“Today, I am heartbroken to learn of the deaths of nine innocent children in Shahpur, Sagar district, as a result of the collapse of a damaged house’s wall caused by severe rainfall. “I have directed the district administration to provide appropriate treatment to the injured children,” he tweeted.
“I pray to God to offer peace to the spirits of the deceased children. I pray for the quick recovery of the other children involved in the disaster. I send my heartfelt sympathies to the families who have lost innocent children. The government will provide financial help of Rs 4 lakh to each of the children’s families,” he said.
