Kushinagar tragedy: How did 13 people die at once? Entire incident explained

A heartbreaking incident occurred on Wednesday night in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar region. A slab covering an old well broke, and the women worshipping fell into it. The accident claimed the lives of 13 people. Those who died in the incident included an 18-month-old child, ten girls, and two women. 

The incident occurred at around 9:30 pm. The villagers said police arrived about an hour later at the spot. The rescue operation lasted till late at night. By then, nearly 25-30 women were injured and treated at a nearby hospital. 

The incident occurred in Kushinagar's Nebua Naurangiya police station area, where the haldi ceremony of Parameshwar Kushwaha's son, a resident of Tola, was held. At around 9.30 pm, 50-60 women and girls arrived at the village's old well to perform the wedding rituals. The well was covered with a slab, and some women stood over the slab. Due to their heavyweight, the slab broke, and people standing over the slab fell into the well and drowned. 

As it was late-night, the villagers explained that most women present at the wedding heard an uproar. Villagers came to the rescue, but it was too late, causing many women to drown. The well was reportedly very deep, however, the water present was less than ten feet. By the time the rescue operation concluded, the death toll had surged to 13. 

The villagers said due to darkness, it was difficult for them to operate. The villagers tried to rescue the people with vehicle headlights and mobile torches but failed as the well was bottomless. After police arrived, they dialled the drivers. The operation went till late at night. Police informed that the injured were taken to the hospital. At the hospital, doctors stated 13 people died due to drowning. The girls who died were between the age of 5 to 15. 

Meanwhile, when officials inquired about the incident, the women present said they didn't know what exactly happened. Women informed the officials that they were performing wedding rituals and suddenly heard a loud noise, and saw people falling into the well. Girls started to hold each other to save themselves, and as it was dark, no one understood what had happened. Women claimed they heard screams for 15-20 minutes after the incident. Each one was scared. Villagers started to gather and tried to rescue the people. 

The ambulance reached the spot after an hour. Villagers said only one ambulance arrived; the other did not come. After reaching the hospital, the doctors were not present. Due to lack of treatment, the number of dead people surged. The police informed that action would be taken against the doctors who were not present at the time of emergency. 

While talking to the media, Akhil Kumar, ADG, said that people were sitting on the slab covering the well at a wedding ceremony, and it broke due to their weight. After the incident, locals and police reached and rescued 13 people. Reportedly all were women who had died in the incident. The district administration team is taking further action. If there is any negligence, the police make the other inquiry.
 

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