The incident took place when a religious ceremony was being organised in front of a temple at around 7pm on Sunday. Heavy rainfall, coupled with strong winds, caused the huge neem tree to fall on a tin shed under which scores of devotees were taking shelter.
At least seven people were killed and more than 40 others were injured after a huge tree fell on a tin shed following heavy rainfall in Paras village of Balapur tehsil in Maharashtra’s Akola district on Sunday evening.
The incident took place when a religious ceremony was being organised in front of a temple at around 7pm on Sunday. Heavy rainfall, coupled with strong winds, caused the huge neem tree to fall on a tin shed under which scores of devotees were taking shelter.
More than 40 people were buried under the shed and sustained injuries while seven others lost their lives in the accident. Five people were admitted to Akola Medical College where their treatment is underway. Soon after receiving information, police teams and ambulances rushed to the spot to initiate rescue and relief work. JCB machines were pressed into service to lift the broken tree and the collapsed shed.
Maharashtra | 7 people dead while 30-40 were injured after an old tree fell on a tin shed in Paras village in Akola district due to rainfall yesterday evening. Injured were taken to hospital: Nima Arora, Collector, Akola pic.twitter.com/dKdscUUwLA
— ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths and announced that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government will provide financial assistance to the families of those killed.
“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,” he shared on social media.