BHOPAL: Two flower sellers, including a woman, lost their lives, and two others were injured when the retaining wall of a government school-turned-heritage hotel near the renowned Mahakal Temple in Ujjain collapsed due to heavy rains on Friday evening.
According to Ujjain district collector Neeraj Singh, the deceased man and woman were street vendors who sold flowers and other religious items outside the temple. “All four injured were rushed to the hospital, but two of them died. The other two injured have been referred to a hospital in neighboring Indore,” he said.
The two deceased were reportedly identified as Farheen (22) and Ajay (27). The Ujjain collector, while detailing the incident, stated, “A probe will be carried out by an SDM to ascertain why the retaining wall couldn’t withstand the pressure of the surging flow of rainwater. Close to the wall is a structure on which there is a Supreme Court stay.”
Expressing grief over the incident, the state’s Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said, “A very sad incident has happened in Ujjain where two local people died due to the wall collapse near Maharajwada School. Senior officials have been directed to ensure proper treatment of the injured. May Baba Mahakal grant the departed souls a place at his holy feet and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense sorrow.”
“The Madhya Pradesh government has given instructions to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. I express my condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief," he added.