At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a temple collapsed in heavy rain in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday. The temple, located in the Tara Devi area of the city, was reportedly packed with devotees when it collapsed.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time, when heavy rains lashed the city. The temple, which was made of mud and stones, was unable to withstand the force of the rain and collapsed.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations are still underway. Several people are still feared trapped under the rubble.
The injured have been taken to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla. The condition of some of the injured is said to be critical.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed his grief over the loss of lives and has ordered an inquiry into the incident. He has also announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs. 1 lakh for the injured.
The collapse of the temple is a major tragedy and has once again highlighted the vulnerability of buildings in the hill state to heavy rains. Shimla has been witnessing heavy rains for the past two days and the Met department has forecast more rains in the coming days.
The state government has already issued an alert and asked people to be cautious. People have been advised to avoid going to temples and other public places during heavy rains.
This is not the first time that a temple has collapsed in Shimla due to heavy rains. In 2017, a temple in the Nanki Devi area of the city collapsed, killing at least 14 people.
The state government needs to take urgent steps to make temples and other public buildings in the hill state safe from heavy rains. The government should also ensure that people are aware of the risks posed by heavy rains and take necessary precautions.
Temple Collapse Highlights Need for Safer Buildings in Hill States:-
The collapse of a temple in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people, has once again highlighted the need for safer buildings in hill states.
The temple, which was made of mud and stones, was unable to withstand the force of the heavy rains that lashed the city on Monday. The incident has once again raised questions about the safety of buildings in the hill states, which are often prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides.
In the past few years, there have been several incidents of temples and other buildings collapsing in hill states due to heavy rains. In 2017, a temple in the Nanki Devi area of Shimla collapsed, killing at least 14 people. In 2018, a landslide in Uttarakhand killed over 60 people.
The government needs to take urgent steps to make buildings in hill states safer. The government should set up a task force to assess the safety of all buildings in hill states and recommend measures to make them safer. The government should also provide financial assistance to people to repair or rebuild their unsafe buildings.
In addition, the government should create awareness about the risks posed by natural disasters and how to stay safe. People living in hill states should be encouraged to build their houses using earthquake-resistant materials and to avoid building houses in areas that are prone to landslides.
The collapse of the temple in Shimla is a tragedy, but it is also a wake-up call. The government needs to act now to make buildings in hill states safer.
