36 dead after collapse at temple in India

LUCKNOW, India — At least 36 people were killed inside a well at a Hindu temple in central India after dozens of people attending a festival fell into the muddy water when its cover collapsed, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred in 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.

Built hundreds of years ago, stepwells are a common feature across India, many of them ornately decorated, with access to a body of water through stairs and niches.