Thirty-five bodies have been found inside a well at a Hindu temple in central India after dozens of people fell into the muddy water when the well’s cover collapsed, officials said Friday.
Video of Thursday’s collapse at the temple complex in Indore in Madhya Pradesh state showed chaos afterward, with people rushing toward the exits.
An excavator pulled down a wall of the decades-old temple to help people flee.
Nearly 140 rescuers, including army personnel, used ropes and ladders to pull the bodies from the well after pumping out the water.
A narrow path and debris in the well made the task difficult.
Witnesses said a large crowd of devotees had thronged the temple to perform a fire ritual and celebrate the festival for the deity Rama.
People stand around a structure built over an old temple well that collapsed, as a large crowd of devotees gathered for the Ram Navami Hindu festival in Indore, India on March 30, 2023.
Dozens of people fell into the water when the structure over the well collapsed and were covered by falling debris, police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar said.
Kantibhai Patel, president of a residents’ association, told reporters that authorities were slow to react and the first ambulance reached the spot an hour after the alert.
The structure apparently caved in because it could not handle the weight of the large crowd, said the state’s top elected official, Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
He ordered an investigation.
“We have so far recovered 35 bodies and the rescue operation is continuing,” said Ilayaraja T., a district administrator.
The effort was continuing Friday.
A team of army rescuers joined the operation on Thursday night.
The Times of India newspaper reported the rescue work was expedited after underwater cameras showed bodies floating in the muddy waters of the well.
Chauhan said 33 of the bodies had been identified and one person was unaccounted for.
Sixteen of the people who were injured remained hospitalized Friday.
Temple authorities had stopped using the well years ago and covered the mouth with iron grills and tiles.
Municipal authorities in January ordered temple owners to remove the covering of the well because it was an unsafe and unauthorized structure, but temple authorities ignored the warning, the newspaper said.
Building collapses are common in India because of poor construction and a failure to observe regulations.
In October, a century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the western state of Gujarat, sending hundreds of people plunging into the water and killing at least 132 in one of the worst accidents in the country in the past decade.
A missing 2-year-old boy — whose mother was found slain in the family’s St. Petersburg, Florida, apartment earlier this week — was found dead Friday in the mouth of an alligator. The boy’s father has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Taylen Mosley’s body was found in the mouth of an alligator in a recreation area, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said in a Friday evening news conference.
Detectives had been searching the area around Dell Holmes Park Friday afternoon when they “spotted an alligator with an object in its mouth,” Holloway said.
“As the detectives got closer they fired one round to the alligator,” Mosley said. “The alligator dropped the object that he had in his mouth and we were able to retrieve Taylen’s body intact.”
The boy’s father, 21-year-old Thomas Mosley, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 20-year-old Pashun Jeffery and their son Taylen Mosley, Holloway said.
Taylen’s exact cause of death remains unknown, Holloway said, adding that Jeffery was found stabbed multiple times.
Jeffery and her son had last been seen by family members around 5:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police say later, around 8:30 p.m., neighbors heard a loud commotion near their apartment but police were not called.
The next day, Jeffery’s mother contacted the apartment complex property manager after not hearing from her daughter. That’s when they found her dead.
The FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement had joined local authorities in the search for Mosley, which included dive teams looking in lakes that dot the area, as well as drones doing a grid search.
Thomas Mosley went to his mother’s house about 9 p.m. Wednesday with the cuts on his arms and hands, Holloway said, and then admitted himself to a local hospital.
Family members said Jeffery and Taylen had just moved into the apartment complex about a month ago.
“Every story is made up of chapters. Some develop naturally. Some you have to cut up in your mind,” Fischetti penned.
“The first two chapters of the LFO story lost a main character yesterday. Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis passed away.”
Fischetti, 47, told fans he does not “have details” about what led to his friend’s passing and acknowledged it “wouldn’t be [his] place to share them if [he] did,” adding, “I am really struggling to process this tragic loss.”
Fischetti admitted that his relationship with Gillis, who left the boy band a few years after its 1995 inception, was “complex.”
“It contained moments of great tribulation but also of great joy,” he wrote, saying he “learned a lot from [Gillis] about the business of music and how to put together and rock a show.”
Fischetti went on to emphasize “what Brian meant to LFO,” explaining, “If it wasn’t for his hard work and dedication in the early days of LFO, the first two chapters, the LFO you came to know and (hopefully) love would not exist.”
He also said he’s “prayed for Brian every day for many years” and “will continue to pray for him.”
Gillis’ death marks the group’s third loss, as the other original member, Rich Cronin, died in 2010, a week shy of his 36th birthday after a long battle with leukemia.
The trio formed LFO, which stands for Lyte Funkie Ones. After Gillis left to pursue a solo career, Devin Lima stepped in as his replacement.
In 1999, the band released a platinum-selling, self-titled album that included some of Gillis’ vocals and featured the group’s biggest hit, “Summer Girls.”
But in November 2018, Lima died at the age of 41 after battling stage 4 adrenal cancer.
LFO has disbanded and reunited a handful of times over the years, with Cronin’s and Lima’s deaths being significant contributing factors.
“I know that soon or maybe already, Brizz will be greeted by Rich and Devin,” Fischetti concluded his post. “And I hope that together, they will make some sweet sounds. I would really like that.
A mother-of-four died Monday after falling over a 20-foot cliff while visiting her favorite spot at an Arizona national park.
Jennifer Petri, 44, was hiking with a friend around 4 p.m. in Coconino National Forest near Sedona when she dropped over the steep ledge, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said.
The friend told officers that Petri was “no longer” visible and had fallen in an area known to locals as “The Bluffs,” located approximately 200 feet above West Clear Creek.
The spot is described by the USDA Forest Service as “steep,” “deep” and “rocky,” and officials warn hikers that “emergency services are distant” from the gorge.
The “dangerous” terrain proved difficult for rescuers trying to find Petri — YCSO deputies needed binoculars to find the injured woman, who had landed at the base of a cliff just above the water’s edge.
By the time rescuers reached Petri, she had already died. She was airlifted out of the canyon.
How Petri toppled over the cliff is still under investigation.
A spokesperson for the YCSO could not tell The Post whether foul play could have played a factor.
Family friend Danae Wolf told 12 News Petri was an avid outdoorsman who typically spent every Sunday at the creek with her family.
“Jennifer, she’s goofy, she’s funny and adventurous. Had the most contagious smile,” Wolf the outlet.
“She was everyone’s friend. She had so much compassion for people and empathy. And it’s really something I looked up to.”
Petri — who was a well-loved server at Camp Verde Denny’s — leaves behind her husband and four sons, one of whom turned 15 just two days after her death.
“I want her to be remembered for her compassion and the amazing mother that she was,” said Wolf. “She was the glue that held her family together.”
A baby has been found dead after a chimpanzee in Uganda snatched it from its mother.
The two-month-old girl, named Aroho Ahumuza, had been in the arms of her mother in the town of Kagadi in western Uganda when the chimpanzee attacked, news outlet Astro Awani reported.
The ape suddenly emerged from a bush, taking the child from her mother’s arms and carrying her away.
Residents came to help after the child’s mother raised the alarm. Ahumuza was eventually found with serious head injuries, Astro Awani reported.
“The child was recovered and rushed to Kagadi Community Health Center for medical attention, but she was pronounced dead a few hours later,” news agency Anadolu reported, quoting the child’s father Kunihira Kasaija.
Uganda is home to about 5,000 chimpanzees, according to data collected from the Jane Goodall Institute. Deaths caused by chimpanzees are rare, but the animals have been found to be aggressive on occasion.
Chimpanzees are about four times as strong as humans and can easily overpower a man. If they feel provoked, they can cause severe injuries.
Conflicts between humans and wildlife have increased in recent years in Uganda. Experts believe that human interference in habitats and the expansion of human settlements is restricting habitation areas for chimpanzees. This can increase stress and tension for the apes, which in turn can cause chimps to become more aggressive. As habitats decrease, the animals are forced into populated areas in search of resources.
Kasaija told Astro Awani that he has asked government agency the Uganda Wildlife Authority to take action on chimpanzees in his home area, calling for the animals to be relocated so that they do not cause any harm to people.
Kagadi, the town where the attack happened, is not far from the Kibale National Park, which has the highest number of chimpanzees in Africa. It is possible the chimpanzee responsible for the attack had wandered away from the park.
Although deaths are rare, attacks by chimpanzees have been an ongoing concern for residents in the area, the news outlet reported.
In June 2022, a young boy was badly injured by a chimp as he was returning home from fetching water.
A 37-year-old dad was stabbed to death in front of his 3-year-old daughter and fiancée outside a Starbucks in Canada after he asked the attacker not to vape in front of his child, his family said.
Paul Stanley Schmidt and his daughter Erica were outside the Vancouver coffee shop about 5:30 p.m. Sunday while his fiancée, Ashley Umali, was getting drinks, his mother, Kathy Schmidt, told the Vancouver Sun.
Horrifying video posted on social media captured the moment a man suddenly stabbed Schmidt, who was seen clutching his stomach as he staggered and fell to the ground in a pool of blood.
Schmidt said she was told that the suspect — identified as 32-year-old Inderdeep Singh Gosa — carried out the depraved attack after her son asked him not to vape in front of Erica.
“This is so horribly wrong what happened. He was just trying to protect his daughter. I’m angry and I’m sad,” she told the news outlet.
“It all started because he was vaping beside the baby. Ashley’s in shock — she watched the whole thing. She’s so devastated,” Schmidt added.
Gosa has been charged with second-degree murder, but Schmidt said she would like the charge to be upgraded to first-degree, which requires proof of premeditation.
“He had a knife. I don’t carry a knife into a coffee shop, do you?” she said.
The grieving mom told CityNews that she was also shocked about how no one rushed to help her dying son.
“I was incredibly surprised that nobody from inside the Starbucks called for help, nobody outside called for help. It wasn’t until basically he was in dire straits that somebody flagged down an officer on the sidewalk,” Schmidt told the outlet.
“What kind of world are we living in when you take your family to Starbucks in the middle of the afternoon and you’re attacked and killed, with many people standing around videotaping and watching?” she said.
Police have only said that an officer on patrol was flagged down about 5:40 p.m. at Granville and West Pender streets after the stabbing, which followed a “brief altercation.”
The suspect did not resist when the officer arrested him inside the Starbucks, police spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison told the Vancouver Sun.
He said police are appealing for more witnesses and video to help investigators determine a motive in the senseless killing.
“There’s a significant amount of evidence to tell us what happened. What we are focusing on now is why did this happen. What are the events that transpired in the moments leading up to this very serious crime,” Addison said.
The spokesman also urged people not to share the shocking footage of the attack.
“It’s graphic video. We are encouraging people not to share that video. We are encouraging people, if you’ve got video, if you are a bystander, if you are a witness, please come forward and speak to our investigators, provide it to our investigators,” he told the paper.
The slain man’s family also pleaded for people not to circulate the chilling video.
“Someone took my brother’s life yesterday and another person filmed it (do NOT watch) instead of calling the police and worse off posted it on social media very clearly for views,” Jessica Foxx wrote on Facebook.
“I am sick about this. My family is sick about this. I wrote this post many times being very angry & swearing but that won’t help anything,” she added.
Schmidt had worked at Jiffy Move, a moving company in Burnaby, for about five years.
A memorial was up for the victim at the scene of the ghastly crime.
“Paul was a great guy and a hard worker,” Sean Collings, the company’s operations manager, told the Vancouver Sun. “He was a devoted husband and father.”
He told the paper that the physically demanding job provided Schmidt with the only income to support his family.
A GoFundMe page has been started by the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society, with the goal of raising $200,000 to support the Schmidt family.
On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnsworth said police were doing everything possible to investigate the savage attack.
“I don’t think there are words that can describe just how terrible and just horrible what happened — it is awful,” he said.
“What I hope now is that the individual, who is obviously in custody, will face criminal charges. I understand second-degree murder is what has been charged, and if they’re found guilty, I hope they’re put away for a long time,” Farnsworth added.
The victim’s mother said Umali has been shattered by the loss.
“She’s not talking a lot and I’m on my way to see her now so I can actually have a conversation with her face-to-face. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to have her tell me the whole story, and maybe she can’t, I don’t know,” she told CityNews.
“It was pretty horrific for her to stand and watch the whole thing unfold with her baby,” Schmidt added.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim told Global News that the attack was “a senseless act and it’s absolutely terrible.
“Our hearts and our thoughts go out to Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Schmidt’s family — everyone who loves him,” he said.
Starbucks Canada rep Leanna Rizzi told the outlet in a statement that “this is a tragic situation and our hearts are with all those involved and affected by this incident. We are thankful our partners (employees) are safe and our focus is on supporting them.
“Partners have been offered support through our LifeWorks Employee Assistance Program to assist them through this difficult time. I do not have information to share at this time regarding when the store will reopen,” she added.
A nine-year-old girl has been hailed as a hero after she died trying to ring a fire alarm to stop a school shooter from slaying classmates at an elementary school.
Evelyn Dieckhaus tried to pull the alarm to stop shooter Audrey Hale from opening fire at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
The young girl has been described as a “shining light” and her family have said they are “completely broken”.
In a statement, Evelyn’s family said: “Our hearts are completely broken.
“We cannot believe this has happened. Evelyn was a shining light in this world.
“We appreciate all the love and support but ask for space as we grieve.”
Friends of William’s family have set-up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral costs.
The child was also described as “unfailingly kind and gentle”. He and Hallie were also aged just nine.
Organiser Rachael Freitas wrote: “Our friends are walking through the unimaginable…losing their son at the Covenant School shooting.
“Will had an unflappable spirit. He was unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others.
“He loved his sisters, adored his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and was always excited to host friends of every age.
“Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward.”
Shooter Hale, 28, was a former student at the Covenant School, authorities have revealed.
Hale entered the premises after shooting through one of the doors at approximately 10:13 am on Monday.
The suspect was armed with two assault-type rifles and a hand gun.
Hale was later shot dead by police officers at the scene.
Emily Franciose, from Colorado, US, was on a boarding school trip to the Bernese Alps when she was trapped under a 2,000ft-wide avalanche on the Gstelliwang slope in Bern, Switzerland
An 18-year-old student is feared dead after a huge 50ft avalanche buried her on a school skiing trip – with rescue teams just finding her backpack.
Emily Franciose, from Colorado, US, who attends the prestigious boarding school Ecole d’Humanité, was on a school trip to the Bernese Alps when she was left trapped under a 2,000ft-wide avalanche on the Gstelliwang slope in Bern, Switzerland.
She and her classmate, an 18-year-old British boy, were skiing on Tuesday when the tragic accident struck.
Tragically, the boy was announced dead before emergency services could get to him.
Police said the avalanche stretched more than 2,500ft in length with Swiss rescue teams finding Emily’s backpack.
However, following a lengthy search her body has not been found.
Authorities believe there is “no chance of survival” as her family have been told the recovery of her body may have to wait until Spring due to the conditions.
According to her friends, Emily was documenting her trip on social media up until March 17 as she posted regular pictures of her trip.
Teachers at the school paid tribute to the 18-year-old British student, who has not been identified by officials.
They were “deeply saddened” to hear of his death.
The school said in a statement: “The very experienced group had taken the necessary precautions for a ski tour in advance. In particular, the current avalanche bulletin was taken into account and all persons were equipped with avalanche transceivers.
“Despite these measures, an avalanche broke loose and buried two students.
“Search and rescue efforts began immediately and the remaining group members were brought to safety. For an 18-year old British student of our school, unfortunately, any help came too late.
“The official search for the second student, who was from the USA, had to be interrupted at around 7.30pm on March 21 and was continued the next day.
“We regret this terrible accident and are deeply saddened. We extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to all students, their families and relatives.”
There was a search sent out for Emily but it was halted at around 7.30pm on Tuesday – with officials continuing the search the next day.
Swiss Alpine Rescue Rega crews, Swiss Alpine Rescue, several Rega, Air-Glaciers, mountain specialists and other employees of the Bern canton police and the Canton of Bern Care Team were dispatched to look for the missing student.
However, the search was called off on Wednesday.
The school has pledged to help classmates who have been affected by the tragedy.
They said: “There are also people present for psychological care, including individual grief counseling. This comprehensive assistance will continue until students depart.'”
Tributes have poured in for “iconic legendary character” and “loving father, son and brother” Matt Halford, who suddenly died after collapsing at a beach bar in Cornwall last weekend
The family of a head chef who suddenly died at a popular beach bar has paid tribute to their “loving father, son and brother”.
Matt Halford, 38, was found collapsed inside the walk-in chiller of The Watering Hole pub at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall last Saturday morning.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Matt had worked at The Watering Hole – which is famed for being the UK’s only bar on a beach – since he was a teenager, alongside his two brothers Jason and Lee, and dad Mick.
His heartbroken mum, Joanne Ballinger, described him as a “hard worker” who was “vivacious” and “full of life” as she said the family is still trying to process his loss.
She told MailOnline: “Matthew was caring, he was a loving father, son and brother. He would put anybody first and help anybody he possibly could. He was a hard worker but he liked to play hard too.
“He played for Cornwall at basketball. He was vivacious, full of life and you would always know when he was around because you would hear him.
“We are still trying to process his loss. It doesn’t feel real and we haven’t heard anything about why so we are waiting for that.”
She said that Matt was putting a delivery away with his colleague Max when he headed to the chiller.
After realising he had been gone a while, Max went to check on him and found him collapsed on the floor.
The beach bar’s owner then attempted to carry out CPR and locals rallied together to bring out defibrillators, but it was sadly too late.
Joanne said her son was a fit and healthy man who didn’t smoke, never took drugs and had stopped drinking.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and the family stressed that nobody was at fault.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police previously said: “Emergency services were called at around 9.30am to Perranporth Beach following reports of concern for the welfare of a man.
“The man, in his 30s, was confirmed deceased at the scene.
“His next of kin have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
In an emotional tribute shared to social media, The Watering Hole described Matt as “the best dad, friend, brother and worker this place will ever see”.
It said: “With iconic legendary places that are larger than life like the watering hole, these places are made by iconic legendary characters and unfortunately we lost our MVP on Saturday.
“We always thought the most feared day would be washing away for us, but how wrong were we. We lost the best dad, friend, brother and worker this place will ever see & it’s not easy saying this, but we will never find anyone like this again.
“Matt had worked at the watering hole all of his life, with his brothers Lee & Jason & 3 sons who have been there all of their life. Along with their dad Mick aka Mad dog who was a character to say the least.
“He was not just a huge part of the watering hole, he was the watering hole, the life & soul of everything that happened and would do anything for anyone.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Matt’s family & friends as we know a lot of people are going to be hurting. The Watering hole family will stick together as that’s what he would want.
“We love you mate and can’t quite believe what has happened. Perranporth has lost its best man and captain.”
A JustGiving page has been set up to help finish works on a house that Matt had been working hard to self-renovate, and has raised over £5,200 at the time of writing.
His eldest son, Jaden Cole, wrote on the fundraiser: “The reason behind this Crowdfunding is to help raise as much money as me and my family can to help finish off the house that my Dad worked so hard to self renovate.
“The house was coming on exactly how dad wanted it to be and he still had massive plans but on Saturday 18th March 2023 me and my family received the tragic news that dad had suddenly passed away.
“Life will never be the same without Dad. He was a huge character who you would hear from a mile away! The one person anyone could go to and he would give his all to help and support you; from family and friends to work colleagues, he always just knew the right thing to say.
“I cannot fathom the outpouring of love our family has received and this shows how much my dad meant to so many people and how many lives he touched.
“Although we will have a hole in our hearts forever, he will never ever be forgotten. He has left behind a strong family who will always stick together and make him proud everyday.
“Thank you to each and every person who has offered love and support, your kindness will always be with us.”
The son of a once-prominent Big Apple restaurateur died in a freak fall at Madison Square Garden after a Rangers game last weekend, officials said.
Ernest Vogliano, 61, was riding an escalator railing inside the World’s Most Famous Arena when he plunged two to three floors to his death around 10:40 p.m. Saturday, sources told The Post.
His death was later ruled accidental, his family and officials said.
Vogliano’s widow, Lesa, has now hired an attorney to get to the bottom of the incident, claiming she was kept in the dark about how it all happened.
“We have no idea what happened, but they do,” family attorney Fred Eisenberg told The Post. “We have to review the evidence.
“We know that he was there and we know that he died,” Eisenberg said. “We’d like to find out how.”
The NYPD reported a 911 call of an injured person at the arena around 10:40 p.m. on Saturday and found an unresponsive man suffering from head trauma.
Vogliano was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, cops said.
A rep for the FDNY said Wednesday that it had no record of a call to the Garden, so it’s not immediately clear how Vogliano was transported to the hospital.
An autopsy by the city medical examiner determined that Vogliano died as a result of blunt force trauma and ruled his death at the Garden an accident.
But Eisenberg said Lesa was never given the details, prompting him on Wednesday to send MSG officials a demand that all evidence relevant to Vogliano’s death, including surveillance video footage, be preserved until it can be reviewed.
The incident comes as MSG owner James Dolan’s company is under investigation by the New York State Liquor Authority, which could potentially see the agency pull the liquor licenses of not just the Garden, but Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater.
Dolan has also taken heat for using facial-recognition technology to bar fans he considered undesirable from his venues — including lawyers he has a legal beef with.
In an email Wednesday, a rep for MSG called Vogliano’s death “a tragic accident” that has nothing to do with the state liquor investigation.
“A fan at this past Saturday’s Rangers game was injured in a tragic accident while he was exiting the venue and was immediately transported to a local hospital where he passed away,” the email said. “Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones.”
Vogliano’s father, the late Ernest Sr., was the longtime owner of Il Vagabondo restaurant on East 62nd Street, a one-time Italian social court that evolved into a popular eatery whose patrons included the likes of Cindy Crawford and Tom Hanks in its heyday.
The younger Vogliano was the founder of Monster Productions, a New York City web design firm, and published Aspen Aces & Eights magazine.
