At least 13 people, including seven women and six young girls, and an infant, have been confirmed dead on Wednesday, after they fell into a well at a wedding ceremony in Kushinagar town in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The victims were said to be sitting on a slab covering a well when it collapsed under their weight. Several other guests were also injured in the incident and are receiving treatment, authorities said.
“The incident occurred on Wednesday night around 8.30pm in the Nebua Naurangia area of Kushinagar town when wedding guests had gathered for a ‘Haldi” ceremony, a tradition in which relatives apply turmeric paste on the face and body of the bride and groom before the wedding.
During the overnight rescue operation, water was pumped out with the help of machines, and victims were taken out with the help of ladders lowered into the well.
“All 13 people were declared dead at the hospital,” a police report said.
District authorities have announced a compensation of Rs 400,000 ( £3,923) to the families of each victim.
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who offered his condolences to the families of the deceased in a tweet on Thursday, said:
“The accident in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, is heart-wrenching. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in this. With this, I wish the injured a speedy recovery. The local administration is involved in all possible help.”
