35 people killed and dozens were injured due to covering in temple collapsed

People gathered to celebrate Ram Navami in Indore, Madhya Pradesh temple....

At least 35 people have been killed and more than a dozen have injured due to a covering of a temple well collapsed and people fell inside, local officials said.

The incident took place when devotees gathered at a temple in Indore in Madhya Pradesh state to celebrate Ram Navami, Hindu festival on Thursday, officials said.

"18 people have been rescued, and 35 have found dead and 16 other were injured," on Friday, Indore's district magistrate, Ilayaraja T, said.

To pull the bodies from the well nearly 140 rescue workers were used ropes and ladders after pumping out the water. A narrow path and debris in the well made the task difficult.

Dozens of people had fallen into the well in the temple complex and were covered by falling debris, Police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar said.

Officials said, temple authorities covered the well with iron grills and tiles as they had stopped using the well years ago.

The state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said, the structure caved in as it could not handle the weight of huge crowd.