Sangli: Strong winds caused a temple wall to crumble in Maharashtra’s Sangli district on Tuesday evening, killing six devotees — including three from a family — and wounding at least 13 others.
Authorities reported that worshippers had huddled in a nearby structure beside the Shree Margubai Devasthan temple to escape the gusts when the wall abruptly collapsed on them.
The mishap unfolded near 5 p.m. at Motewadi village in Jat taluka, roughly 130 km from Sangli’s district headquarters and 300 km from Pune, according to police.
“We are investigating who constructed the wall,” Jat Deputy Superintendent of Police Sachin Thorbole stated, noting initial findings point to the structure dating back over seven years.
In a condolence message posted on X, PM Narendra Modi said: “Deeply pained to hear the loss of lives due to the collapse of a wall in Sangli, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this sad hour. May the injured recover at the earliest.”
Sangli district police noted that over 300 devotees had assembled on Tuesday for a traditional goat sacrifice ritual dedicated to the temple’s local deity — a key local observance — when the tragedy unfolded amid the worsening weather.
“Amidst the strong winds, some of them took shelter in a structure that had a stone wall and a tin roof supported by steel angles. The wall and some other parts of the structure suddenly collapsed. Many people who were taking shelter were trapped under the debris,” an officer said.
Victims included Pandujari residents Sangeeta Ramgunda Chaudhary, 30, her sister Mangal Bhausaheb Mothe, 32, and father Shankar Aba Lokhande, 60. Also killed are Arun Vishnu Gejage, 14, and Sonya Laxman Gejage, 14, from Karnataka’s Vijayapura district, plus Kondiba Rauba Gejage Vaibhav, 65, of Jat.
