During the performance of “Laddu Mahotsav” in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh at least five audience members died when a wooden watchtower collapsed with more than 50 participants harmed. A meet organized by Baraut’s Jain community ended in disaster when the tower collapsed due to too many people inside.
District Magistrate Asmita Lal declared deaths had occurred “There was a Jain community programme in Baraut. The wooden building structure collapsed at this location resulting in injuries to 40 individuals. Medical authorities treated 20 patients who received clearance to go home but continued to provide care for additional 20 patients. Five people have died.”
Uttar Pradesh: A major accident occurred in Baghpat during the Lord Adinath Nirvana Laddu festival when a wooden platform at the Manasthambh complex collapsed, trapping over 50 devotees. Panic ensued, with injured Jain devotees being transported to the hospital via e-rickshaws.… pic.twitter.com/eXmU2nM01U
— IANS (@ians_india) January 28, 2025
The injured patients received emergency hospital transport using e-rickshaws while surrounding chaos ensued. Police personnel under Kotwali Inspector command arrived quickly to direct crowd control and perform relief work at the site.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sent his sympathies to the victims while demanding officials to handle relief operations swiftly. “The Chief Minister issued two directives: first: officials needed to rush to the accident scene; second: officials needed to provide proper medical attention to the injured,” stated the report. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office released a statement that included the Chief Minister’s best wishes for fast recovery,” according to the statement.
The devotee Rakesh Jain explained the watchtower serves as a traditional element in the festival which Indian religious members annually build to honor Adinatha’s nirvana. Workers who managed laddoo offerings during the ceremony faced a platform collapse which dropped all the hundreds of devotees beside them to the ground,” he explained.
The festival celebration turned bleak when the collapse forced authorities to initiate investigations about its causes.
