At least 11 women and children died after falling into a well when a slab covering it collapsed while a wedding ritual was going on at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
PTI put the toll at 13. Around 15 people were injured.
“The ritual involved a member of the groom’s family fetching water in a bucket from the well. The groom’s mother pours it and the groom cuts the sheet of falling water repeatedly with a sword. It symbolises removal of the expected hurdles in married life,” said Brijesh Govind Rao, a resident of Naurangiya Tola village where the tragedy took place.
Barring a hole in its mouth, the rest of the well was sealed with reinforced concrete 11 years ago.
On Wednesday, several people were perched on the concrete covering.
“Unable to bear the weight of so many people, the slab collapsed,” Govind Rao said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences to the bereaved families.
