35 died in an Indore temple accident, innocent took out water from a drowning mother's mouth; corpses were floating near the feet

Posted on 31st Mar 2023 by rohit kumar

Indore Temple Accident: I had gone to worship with my mother and Veda (younger sister). Everyone had climbed the well (step well). Suddenly the slab broke and we all fell. I held Mama's hand, but she went into the water. Holding the hand of an uncle, I went to the stairs.

 

Veda was also with me. Mama was drowning in the water. Water was entering his mouth. Seeing the bubbles, I removed the water with one hand. Blew near the mouth and tried to stop the water. It was dark in the well. After a while, I didn't see anything. After a long time, an uncle came and held my hand.

 

This is to say of six-year-old Alina Khubchandani who fell into the stepwell along with her three-year-old younger sister Veda and mother Bhumika. Veda and Alina are rescued but Bhumika, the mother of the children, drowns to death.

 

Medical Director Umesh Khanchandani's wife Bhumika came to Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple (Sarvodaya-Sneh-Patelnagar) to worship with both daughter Alina-Veda and mother-in-law Rekha, sister-in-law Jeevan, and nephew Hitansh. The Havan was over at around 11:30. There was a huge crowd in the temple due to Ram Navami.

 

Colony and hostel people were in large numbers

Bhandara was organized in the temple on the day of Ram Navami, due to which girls and women from the colony and hostels reached the temple in large numbers. For Purnahuti, the crowd climbed the slab where the Havan was taking place.

 

As soon as the priest Lakshminarayan Sharma lifted the plate of Lord Ram's Aarti, suddenly the slab broke and fell. Alina-Veda stood holding the ladder, but their mother Bhumika died. Both innocent people stood holding the ladder for about two hours.

 

Her mother Bhumika was drowning next to Alina. Due to the entry of water, bubbles started rising from the mouth of Bhumika. Alina removed the water with her first hand. Unaware of the mother's death, the innocent blew into the water so that water could be stopped from the mother's mouth. Alina, who is admitted to Choithram Hospital, trembles remembering that scene.

 

The people standing on the slab fell with a jolt.

As Navlakha resident Ravi Pal told that the havan going on in the temple was over and after the havan, the priests were about to perform aarti. A huge crowd of people reached the top of the slab to touch the aarti plate.

 

During this, suddenly the slab broke and all the people standing on the slab fell into the water with a jolt. The water was dirty and deep. I Fell and came up with a jolt. Those who knew how to swim reached the wall and stairs, but those who did not know how to swim drowned.

 

After the slab fell dead bodies were floating near our feet. The screams of people were heard from all around. There was a scramble to escape for some time, but after that people started drowning and the sounds of crying also decreased.

 

Had the rescuers reached on time, perhaps everyone could have been saved. My mother Pushpa, wife Varsha, and son Tanishk also got separated in the crowd. It was so dark there that it was not even visible who was standing nearby.

 

The slab was installed 40 years ago

As the priest, Lakshminarayan Sharma told me that after the Havan was over, I was preparing for Lord Ram's Aarti. Aarti was to be performed before 12 o'clock. During this, many women and children participated in the Aarti. Suddenly the slab broke and everyone fell into a 45 feet deep stepwell.

 

Everyone went into the water with a jerk and came up by jumping. I knew how to swim. I came swimming up the stairs. The water was very dirty. The women did not know how to swim and they drowned. The slab was installed about 40 years ago.

 

trying to escape by holding each other's hands

As Bhavesh Patel, a resident of Patelnagar, told that there was an outcry as soon as people fell into the stepwell. There were cries of children and women. The swimmers reached the wall.

 

No one could see anything in the darkness, but people were holding each other's hands. 10-12 people were swimming in the water like corpses in front of me. People tried to pull him, but there was no life in him.

 

A huge crowd of people gathered at the time of Aarti

As businessman Mahesh Kaushal told that people were sitting in the Havan. The Havan Kund was built over the stepwell. People were singing hymns. Earlier the crowd was less, but during the aarti, people gathered in large numbers.

 

Everyone drowned in the stepwell as soon as the slab broke. I could not even swim, but God did a miracle and I reached the stairs. Stood holding the corner of the ladder for about an hour.

 

Hanuman Chalisa read as soon as he left the stepwell

Laxman Dalwani, a resident of BK Sindhi Colony, also fell into the stepwell. He was released after about two hours. His health had deteriorated due to a lack of oxygen. The corporators took him to a private hospital.

 

After initial treatment, he was shifted to the ward. Even in the hospital, he was reciting Hanuman Chalisa. When Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava and MIC member Bablu Sharma came to know about the situation, tears filled their eyes.

 

dead bodies of women and children were floating

As Kumar Sethi told that I kept trying to escape by walking hands and feet in the water for a long time. Save-save voices were coming from all sides.

 

After a while, the police put the rope on. I stood in one place for two hours holding the rope, but I could see the dead bodies of women and children.

 

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