35 dead, 16 hurt after roof of stepwell collapses in India

Reuters :
The incident occurred in the central Indian city of Indore after a concrete slab covering the roof of a stepwell in a temple complex collapsed, crushing devotees who had gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami on Thursday, officials said.
Stepwells are a common feature across India, built hundreds of years ago, many of them ornately decorated, with access to a body of water through stairs and niches. “The stepwell was covered, but the slab covering it collapsed because of the crowd and extra load on it,” Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the central Indian state where Indore is located, told reporters late on Thursday.
At least 75 army and rescue personnel worked through the day to remove debris, using ropes and ladders to pull out people who had fallen into the well, local media reported.
“We have rescued 18 people, 35 have been found dead and 16 are injured,” Ilayaraja T, a top local government official, told Reuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced compensation for the dead and injured in the incident.
Senior official Illayaraja T told ANI news channel that 18 people were admitted to the hospital after being rescued and two people have been discharged so far. He added that a search operation is still underway to find the missing person.
A team of 75 personnel, including those from the state and national disaster response forces are engaged in rescue efforts. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6000; £4900) to the kin of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured.

Mr Modi tweeted his condolences to the victims’ families and also announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees for them.