BHOPAL: Nine kids, between 10 to 14 years, were crushed to death and four others critically injured at a temple when the crumbling wall of an adjacent house weakened by incessant rain collapsed on them in Shahpur town of MP’s Sagar district on Sunday. The kids were making earthen Shivlings when the 50-year-old wall gave way.
This is the second such incident in the state in two days.Four children, aged 5 to 7 years, had died in a wall collapse while returning from school in Rewa district Saturday. The common link in both instances was that the dilapidated walls had been left unattended like a ticking time bomb.
Late Sunday, CM Mohan Yadav ordered the removal of the Sagar collector, SP, & the local SDM over collapse. He also suspended the chief municipal officer and a sub-engineer of Shahpur.
Many killed in wall collapse were only child of their parents
Over a dozen children gathered under a tent to create Shivlings out of clay as a massive crowd of devotees thronged Hardaul Baba Temple in Shahpur. Around 10am, the wall of the adjoining house collapsed on the tent, trapping the kids under a mound of debris.
Collector Deepak Arya, who supervised the rescue, confirmed the wall collapse was triggered by rain. Amid screams and wails, parents and other villagers scrabbled through the debris with bare hands to reach the kids. Police joined the rescue effort and a JCB was deployed.
Two children died on the spot. Nine others were rushed to hospital but seven more died on the way. The two survivors are in stable condition, collector Arya said.
Local Rehli MLA and ex-minister Gopal Bhargava, who arrived to oversee the rescue, said many of those killed were the only child of their parents, Bhargava said.
CM Yadav expressed grief and announced aid of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased, adding, “I have directed the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured.”CM ordered an immediate statewide review of dilapidated and dangerous buildings and asked officials to take action so that there was no repeat of such tragedies. “Chief municipal officer (Shahpur) and sub-engineer were found guilty of negligence and have been suspended,” the CM posted on X.
In Rewa on Saturday, the dilapidated wall that collapsed and killed four children was barely 20 metres from their school in Garh village. Another child and the mother of one of those killed are in critical condition. School authorities and parents had repeatedly requested the owner of the empty plot to pull down the wall, but to no avail.
This is the second such incident in the state in two days.Four children, aged 5 to 7 years, had died in a wall collapse while returning from school in Rewa district Saturday. The common link in both instances was that the dilapidated walls had been left unattended like a ticking time bomb.
Late Sunday, CM Mohan Yadav ordered the removal of the Sagar collector, SP, & the local SDM over collapse. He also suspended the chief municipal officer and a sub-engineer of Shahpur.
Many killed in wall collapse were only child of their parents
Over a dozen children gathered under a tent to create Shivlings out of clay as a massive crowd of devotees thronged Hardaul Baba Temple in Shahpur. Around 10am, the wall of the adjoining house collapsed on the tent, trapping the kids under a mound of debris.
Collector Deepak Arya, who supervised the rescue, confirmed the wall collapse was triggered by rain. Amid screams and wails, parents and other villagers scrabbled through the debris with bare hands to reach the kids. Police joined the rescue effort and a JCB was deployed.
Two children died on the spot. Nine others were rushed to hospital but seven more died on the way. The two survivors are in stable condition, collector Arya said.
Local Rehli MLA and ex-minister Gopal Bhargava, who arrived to oversee the rescue, said many of those killed were the only child of their parents, Bhargava said.
CM Yadav expressed grief and announced aid of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased, adding, “I have directed the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured.”CM ordered an immediate statewide review of dilapidated and dangerous buildings and asked officials to take action so that there was no repeat of such tragedies. “Chief municipal officer (Shahpur) and sub-engineer were found guilty of negligence and have been suspended,” the CM posted on X.
In Rewa on Saturday, the dilapidated wall that collapsed and killed four children was barely 20 metres from their school in Garh village. Another child and the mother of one of those killed are in critical condition. School authorities and parents had repeatedly requested the owner of the empty plot to pull down the wall, but to no avail.