INDORE: Several are feared to have been trapped after the roof of a temple collapsed while Ram Navami celebrations were underway in Indore on Thursday. While devotees engaged in prayers at the Shri Baleshwar Mahadev Jhulele Temple in Patel Nagar, the roof collapsed trapping some 25 in the step well.

Locals gathered as police, including the commissioner, rushed to the spot. All MIC members including Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava also rushed to the accident site.

Visuals from the spot showed locals, rescue teams, and police personnel carrying out a rescue operation to pull out those trapped. So far 5 are said to have been rescued and rushed to the hospital immediately.

The reason of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, However, a resident of Patel Nagar stated that temple was built illegally near the stepwell. It added that the construction had political backing.