13 May,2026 09:33 AM IST | Sangli | mid-day online correspondent
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At least six people lost their lives and several others were injured after an under-construction wall collapsed in Maharashtra's Sangli district on Tuesday evening, reported ANI.
The incident occurred in Motewadi village, where a large number of devotees had gathered for a religious ceremony dedicated to Goddess Murgubai. According to police officials, sudden heavy rainfall and strong winds hit the area during the event, triggering the collapse, reported ANI.
Officials said people attending the ceremony had taken shelter near the structure when the accident took place.
Preliminary investigations suggest that high-velocity winds uprooted a large metal-sheet roof installed near the venue. The flying roof reportedly crashed into a stone wall, causing it to collapse on the devotees standing nearby.
The impact left several people trapped under the debris, leading to panic at the site.
Local residents and emergency responders immediately launched rescue efforts and pulled out the injured from beneath the collapsed structure.
Police said nearly a dozen people suffered injuries in the incident.
The injured were rushed to Jat Rural Hospital for treatment. Authorities said some victims sustained serious injuries, though detailed medical information has not yet been officially released, reported ANI.
Senior police officials and district administration teams reached the spot soon after the collapse to supervise rescue and relief operations.
Officials are also assessing whether the under-construction structure complied with safety standards and whether weather-related precautions had been taken before the event, reported ANI.
Further details regarding the victims and the exact sequence of events are still awaited.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths in the Sangli wall collapse tragedy.
In a statement shared by the Prime Minister's Office on social media platform X, Modi said he was deeply saddened by the incident and extended sympathies to the families of the deceased.
"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," the PMO said in the post.
The incident has once again drawn attention to safety concerns surrounding temporary and under-construction structures used during public gatherings and religious events.
Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed inquiry into the collapse, including whether adequate structural safeguards were in place despite forecasts of adverse weather.
(With inputs from ANI)
