Indore temple tragedy: Death toll rises to 35, search operation still on

A total of 35 people have been killed after the roof of a stepwell collapsed at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on March 30. 

As per reports, a search operation is currently underway to trace one missing person. 

On March 30, during a "havan" ceremony performed at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in the city in honour of Ram Navami, the slab built on top of an old "bawdi" or stepwell fell, throwing numerous worshippers into the water reservoir below. 

The Patel Nagar temple, where the tragedy occurred, was built after a square stepwell of roughly 20 feet by 20 feet in size was covered around 40 years ago.

"Our search operation, being carried out with the help of the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), is nearing completion. So far, 35 bodies have been recovered from the well," Indore District Magistrate Dr Ilayaraja T told reporters from the site of the incident.

''The bodies of all persons, except one, whose names were mentioned in the list of missing persons, have been recovered so far,'' he added.

According to Illayaraja, a lot of silt needs to be taken from the well in order to find the lost individual.

Meanwhile, 16 victims of the accident have been taken to hospitals, while two more were sent home after receiving first aid.

Witnesses reported that the effort to remove corpses from the well and transport them to a hospital for post-mortem increased after 11.30 p.m. on March 30.

To retrieve the remains, a combined Army and NDRF squad used a crane and trolley to lower into the well.