On Sunday, August 4, 2024, in Shahpur town, located in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, India, a tragic incident occurred when a 50-year-old wall of a house weakened by constant rain, collapsed on nine children aged between 10 to 14 years, resulting in their deaths. Another four children were critically injured. The children were involved in making earthen Shivlings at the time of the incident.
This tragic incident marked the second of its kind in the state in a span of two days. On the preceding Saturday, in Rewa district, four children aged between five to seven years lost their lives in a similar wall collapse while they were returning home from school. Both incidents involved walls that were in a state of disrepair and had been neglected.
In response to the tragedies, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered the removal of the Sagar district collector, the Superintendent of Police, and the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The Chief Municipal Officer and a sub-engineer of Shahpur were also suspended.
Many of the children who lost their lives in the collapse were the only children of their parents. Over a dozen children had gathered under a tent at the Hardaul Baba Temple for a crowded event to create Shivlings, symbols representing the god Shiva, from clay. At around 10 AM, the wall adjoining the temple collapsed on the tent, causing the children to be trapped under the debris.
Collector Deepak Arya, who headed the rescue operation, confirmed that the wall collapse was indeed due to the rain but some reports suggest that the vibrations from loud DJ music being played at the temple could have further weakened the already unstable wall. Parents and villagers, aided by the police and heavy machinery, frantically dug through the debris to reach the trapped children.
Of the children rushed to the hospital, two children died on the spot, while seven others succumbed to their injuries later. According to Arya, the two surviving children are currently in stable condition.
Expressing his sorrow over the incident, Chief Minister Chouhan announced financial aid of approximately $4700 for the family of each deceased child. “I have directed the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured,” he stated. Chouhan also ordered a statewide review of dilapidated structures and instructed officials to take necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In the earlier incident that occurred in Rewa on Saturday, the wall that collapsed and led to the death of four children was located just 65 feet away from their school in Garh village. The mother of one of the victims and another child are currently in critical condition. Despite repeated requests from school authorities and parents to demolish the wall, the owner of the plot took no action.
