2 min readLucknowJul 12, 2026 08:14 AM IST
First published on: Jul 11, 2026 at 07:33 PM IST
A worker was killed and another injured when the dome of a 200-year-old Kali temple collapsed on them during a demolition drive for a road-widening project in Mughalsarai town of Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district on Friday night.
The demolition was part of a Public Works Department (PWD) road expansion project that has been underway for the past four months. According to officials, both victims were employees of the private contractor engaged by the PWD to execute the road-widening project. The accident occurred when the contractor was using a bulldozer to demolish the temple to clear the route for the expanded roadway.
The deceased was identified as Baldev Yadav (45), a local resident who was helping with the demolition by holding a guide rope when the temple’s dome suddenly collapsed.
Chandauli District Magistrate Chandra Mohan Garg said he had summoned PWD officials to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Officials said the demolition was carried out without prior intimation to the local administration or the police, who were not informed before the work began.
The temple stood in the alignment of the proposed road and had to be removed to facilitate the work, he added.
Officials said the dome first struck the bucket of the bulldozer, causing it to deflect before crashing onto Baldev and another man standing nearby. Both were buried under the rubble.
The collapse sparked panic at the site. The demolition was immediately suspended and police, administration officials and local residents rushed to the site to launch a rescue operation.
The two injured men were pulled from the debris and rushed to hospital, where Baldev later died from his injuries, said the official.
The injured man is undergoing treatment.
Another official said before the demolition, a new temple was constructed nearby and the idols were shifted there a few days ago. A pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony was also performed recently, after which the old structure was cleared for demolition. The shifting of the temple started after taking approval from the temple committee, said a senior official.
The demolition was part of a Public Works Department (PWD) road expansion project that has been underway for the past four months. 
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