At least 26 people, including four children, were killed and 28 injured when a wall of a wedding hall collapsed during a storm in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district on Wednesday night, police said. "The wall and a tin shed attached to it at the marriage venue collapsed due to a storm," said Anil Tank, Superintendent of Police in Bharatpur. Of the 26 injured, 15 were critical, he said, adding that the wall was nearly 90-foot-long and 12-13 feet in height and there were food stalls set up along the wall for the wedding.
A case has been registered against the owner of the marriage hall, police said. He said a survey of all the marriage homes and gardens in Bharatpur will be conduced to review safety and security measures. "The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals immediately. One injured has been referred to SMS Hospital in Jaipur," he said.
The bodies were shifted to a mortuary and postmortem will be conducted today, police sources said. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje condoled the deaths and instructed officers concerned for proper treatment of the injured. Rajasthan is one of India's most arid states, but suffers frequent dust storms during the hotter months. PTI
