Tragedy struck the Jain community in Baraut, Baghpat, during their annual ‘Laddoo Mahotsav’ on Monday when a bamboo platform erected at a temple collapsed under the weight of hundreds of devotees. The incident claimed six lives and left over 50 injured.
According to the police, the platform was built for devotees to offer laddoos as part of the religious observance commemorating the nirvana of Jain deity Adinatha. As the priests and devotees gathered on the structure, it gave way, leading to chaos.
Baghpat police chief Arpit Vijayvargiya stated that police and ambulances reached the spot promptly after the collapse. “The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. Those with minor wounds received first aid and were discharged, while those with serious injuries are undergoing treatment,” he said.
District Magistrate Asmita Lal confirmed the annual nature of the festival, which has been observed by the local Jain community for three decades. “The wooden structure collapsed, leaving about 40 people injured. Twenty have already been treated and sent home, and others remain under medical care,” she said.
Eyewitness Rakesh Jain, a devotee present at the event, described the harrowing scene. “The platform is set up every year for the priests and devotees to offer laddoos. This time, it couldn’t bear the weight of the crowd, and it collapsed suddenly,” he said.