Police and emergency workers are trying to rescue over 20 people in India trapped inside a well after a floor caved in at a Hindu temple.
The well is thought to have been 50-60ft deep and was full of water at the time of the accident in Indore, a city in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a large amount of people gathering on the roof of the ancient well. It caved in because it couldn't bear the load, local media reported.
The old well, which sat in the courtyard, was covered with a concrete slab which gave way as people gathered to pray towards the deity.
To save themselves, those who fell held on to the stones and the iron mesh lining the sides of the well.
Local politician Shivraj Singh Chouhan says there have been 10 people recovered from the pit so far.
Nine worshippers, including two kids, were rescued and rushed to hospital. It's thought that around 25 people are still trapped inside.
Twelve ambulances and a huge police presence are on site.
Police official Manish Kapooriya said: "The rescue is continuing. Some 20-25 people are trapped inside the well after the roof collapsed."
TV footage showed workers trying to reach those trapped in the well using ropes and ladders.
In another clip, footage showed the floor after it had been caved in as well as the steel bars that once supported the foundations.
Today is the Hindu holy day of Ram Navami, which celebrates the birth of Rama, an avatar of the god Vishnu. Temples were packed as Hindus celebrated the day across India.
Local media say the floor of the temple caved in because of the excess weight due to the high footfall.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed anguish at the tragedy in Indore in which 25 people are feared to have fallen inside a well.
"Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. (PTI)
Last month, a women told how she fell into a 10ft sinkhole that she thought was a puddle.
Laura Gerber’s whole head went into the sewage in what she has called “one of the scariest experiences of my life”.
She had been on a night out in Watford last Sunday (March 12) when she stepped out of a friend’s car and took a step backwards into the sinkhole.
The gap in the ground had opened on Jubilee Road close to the junction with Leavesden Road and the waste water has now been drained.
Laura hit her back as she fell down the hole and was fortunately able to drag herself out.
