Death toll from India temple collapse rises to 35

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The death toll from a Hindu temple floor collapse in India rose to 35 on Friday, but rescue operations are still ongoing, a local official told AFP . 

Dozens of worshipers fell Thursday in a bâoli, a well lined with stairs used for religious rituals, when the floor of the temple, which covered it, gave way under their weight.

The accident happened. is produced in the city of Indore, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

“Thirty-five people died. One person is still missing. Relief operations are continuing,” Indore District Magistrate Ilayaraja T told AFP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he was “extremely saddened” by the tragedy.

“The government is carrying out rescue and relief operations at a steady pace,” he added. “My prayers go out to all those affected and their families.”

The relatives of the victims will receive 200,000 rupees (2230 euros) in compensation, Mr Modi's office said.

An investigation has been opened into the accident, Narottam Mishra, Minister of Home Affairs for the state of Madhya Pradesh, confirmed to the press.

Police official Manish Kapooriya told AFP that rescue operations were continuing as the survivors were taken to hospital.

TV footage showed rescue workers setting up ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well.

Temples across India were overflowing with worshipers on the Ram Navami festival, celebrating the birthday of the Hindu deity Rama .

In India, fatal accidents are common at places of worship during religious holidays.

In 2016, at least 112 people died in a warehouse explosion fireworks that ignited a huge fire near a Hindu temple in the state of Kerala.

Three years earlier, 115 Hindu worshipers died following a mob on a bridge near a temple in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The stampede occurred after rumors the bridge had collapsed as 400,000 people gathered in the area.