2 die as wall collapses near Ujjain’s Mahakal temple after heavy rain

Kumar said: “There is a Ganesh temple in front of Gate No 4 of the Mahakal Temple and the wall collapsed in front of it due to heavy rainfall. Home Guards and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) officials pulled out a man, two women and as many children from the debris.”

Two of the adults died later.

Ujjain Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh said that the wall had collapsed “due to excessive rainfall”. “Four flower sellers sitting beneath the wall were trapped when it came crashing down. Despite the rescue efforts, two of the victims succumbed to their injuries,” he said.

Singh said that a thorough investigation into the incident would be carried out, with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate leading the inquiry.

Initial assessments pointed to faulty construction and inadequate drainage as contributing factors, officials said. Authorities are also looking into complaints by local residents who alleged that the wall was poorly built, with some accusing officials of ignoring warnings.

“A house owner who stayed near the incident site has claimed that he has been asking the authorities to raise the wall by four feet, but no attention was paid and proper water drainage had not been arranged earlier.” said an official.

Officials said the wall was built less than a year ago.

“The rainwater had no escape route, leading to the structural failure. Authorities are now facing scrutiny over their role in ensuring safety at such a sensitive and busy location,” Singh said.