24 dead in wedding hall wall collapse in Rajasthan

 

Jaipur/Bharatpur, 11 May 2017: At least twenty-five people lost their lives when a portion of the boundary wall of a wedding hall collapsed in Swear village, 5 kms from Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The incident took place on Wednesday late night amidst storm that lashed some parts of state.

 

 

According to the police the incident took place at a marriage function held in the Sewar Road hall when the storm hit the area. Superintendent of Police Anil Tank said, “The incident took place around 10PM, when people were eating food in the open near the boundary wall. The wall was nearly 90-feet long and 12-13 feet in height. Adjoining the wall were food stalls which also collided and fell on the guests.” The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals immediately.

 

The Baraat procession that arrived Bharatpur’s Annapoorna Marriage Garden around 7.30 PM on Wednesday has returned to Jaipur at 6 AM. In around 60 baratis accompanying the groom, one elderly relative died, six are injured of which one is critical. The Baraat had originated from Jaipur’s Johari Bazar, situated in the walled city.

 

One of the eye witnesses and survivor of this accident, 56 year old Kailash Chandel told Deccan Herald, “Guests were eating dinner under the tent like structure (Pandal) suddenly a wall collapsed which led to this unfortunate incident. At that time we were in shock as there was no light due to rain and storm. The incident took place around 9:30 and police reached at 11PM. Meanwhile, we were calling Ambulance but we received no response.”

 

No electricity in the hospital

 

As per the groom’s family who has returned to Jaipur, there was a lack of communication and hardly many doctors in hospital to attend them.

 

“After clearing underneath the debris, both injured and dead were taken to the district hospital. We helped ourselves as there was no support from police. But we felt helpless even after reaching hospital, as it was completely dark and those injured were treated with the help of torch and mobile lights. There was just one doctor and assistant who were treating the entire group”, Chandel, the brother-in-law of groom added.

 

Now the groom’s family who returned to Jaipur in the morning are waiting for the body of 80 year old Badri Singh, one of their close relative, who passed away in the wall collision. Coincidently the other member from the Groom’s side who’s critically injured is Badri Singh’s son Gulab Singh, who has also been referred to Jaipur’s SMS Hospital.

 

“Both father and son were dining at the table just adjacent to wall. Son survived the injures whereas father died on the spot.” Chandel added.

 

Bharatpur District collector Narendra Kumar Gupta has also Rs 50,000 to the family of deceased and Rs 10,000 for those injured. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has expressed grief and solidarity on her twitter handle on Thursday early morning.