Lagatar24 Desk
Akola, April 10: A huge tree crashed on a tin shed, killing at least seven persons and injuring five more, in Maharashtra’s Akola on Sunday.
Around 7 o’clock in the evening, as a religious ritual was taking place in front of a temple, a large number of worshippers were seeking shelter behind a tin shed when an old Neem tree fell on it due to heavy rain and high winds. Seven individuals died and 35 to 40 people were buried under the shed, according to the authorities.
Five additional people are now receiving treatment at Akola Medical College.
The moment the authorities learned about the event, they dispatched emergency services to carry out rescue operations while JCB equipment was brought in to raise the tree trunk and the toppled structure.
Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, expressed condolences for the victims’ families and promised financial support on behalf of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
“It is painful to report that some devotees were killed when a tree fell on a tin shed when some people had gathered for a religious ceremony at Paras in Akola district. I pay my humble respects to them,” Fadnavis said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
“The Collector and the Superintendent of Police immediately visited the spot and are coordinating to ensure timely treatment of the injured. We are constantly in touch with them,” he added.
