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Six devotees killed, 12 hurt in wall collapse near temple in Sangli
A 9-foot-high wall near Shri Margubai Devi temple at Motewadi in Sangli district collapsed on May 12, 2026, during gusty winds, killing six devotees and injuring 12. The wall, built about two years earlier as a shelter and made of laterite stone, was near tin sheds that were tossed by wind; authorities are investigating whether construction or wind caused the collapse. The injured were taken to hospitals in Jat, Miraj, and nearby Karnataka, with officials and political leaders commenting on the incident.
Why It Matters
The incident highlights safety risks around religious sites and improvised shelters, and ongoing investigations will assess construction standards and wind-related vulnerabilities.
Timeline
3 Events
Officials’ and leaders’ statements on cause and response
May 13, 2026
Police and officials indicated investigations are underway to determine whether the collapse was due to structural factors or strong winds. Sardar Patil, member of the Sangli Zilla Parishad, said the wall came crashing down when tin sheets from nearby were tossed at it by the wind. BJP leader and MLA Gopichand Padalkar stated that devotees who had gathered for a religious yatra were taking shelter along the side of the wall when the wind caused the collapse.
Deceased identified and injuries updated
May 13, 2026
The identities of the deceased were confirmed as: Shankar Aba Lokhande (80) and Mangal Bhausaheb More (45), both residents of Pandozhari in Jat taluka; Sangita Ram Chaudhari (42) from Takkalagi in Vijaypur district, Karnataka; Arun Vishnu Gejge (14) and Sonya Laxman Gejge (14) from Domnal in Vijaypur, Karnataka; and Kondiba Rauba Gejge (65) from Daribadchi Jat taluka, Sangli district. The injured continued to be treated at facilities in Jat, Miraj and Vijaypur in Karnataka.
Wall collapse near Shri Margubai Devi temple kills six and injures 12
May 12, 2026
A 9-foot-high wall near the Shri Margubai Devi temple at Motewadi in Jat taluka, Sangli district, collapsed amid gusty winds on May 12, 2026, trapping several devotional participants under debris. The wall had been erected around two years earlier as a protective shelter near the temple and was built of laterite stone. Tin sheds nearby were reportedly tossed by the wind, contributing to the collapse. Six people died and 12 were injured; the injured were shifted to hospitals in Jat, Miraj, and Vijaypur in Karnataka.