Uttar Pradesh: 13 dead after falling into well in Kushinagar
Thirteen women and girls died in a village in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh after they accidentally fell into a well during a wedding celebration late on Wednesday. Of the 13 victims, 11 died on Wednesday while the other two succumbed to their injuries at a hospital on Thursday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences to the families of victims.
The incident occurred around 8:30 pm in Nebua Naurangia village where the victims had assembled on and around the covered well for a prayer. However, the covering collapsed due to the heavy load and the victims fell into the well. As they screamed, locals ran toward the well and tried to pull them out. Ten people have sustained injuries in the incident, officials said.
"This (the incident) happened during a wedding program wherein some people were sitting on a slab of a well and due to heavy load, the slab broke," said S Rajalingam, the district magistrate of Kushinagar. Rajalingam further told reporters that an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 4 lakh each will be given to the families of those who died.
"The accident in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching," PM Modi said in a post on Twitter. "I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in this. And I wish the injured a speedy recovery. The local administration is involved in all possible help," he added in the tweet.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a serious note of the matter and directed the Kushinagar district administration to provide all possible help to the affected people. "My condolences are with the bereaved families of the deceased," Adityanath said in a tweet. "I pray to Lord Shri Ram for the speedy recovery of the injured," the CM added.
