PARBHANI — A day of worship turned into a horrific disaster on Saturday afternoon when a portion of an under-construction Hanuman temple suddenly collapsed, killing at least six devotees and leaving 16 others injured in Maharashtra's Parbhani district.

The catastrophic incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. on June 20, 2026 at the famous Trimurti Hanuman Temple located in Yashwadi village, within the Manwat taluka. Because Saturday is traditionally considered an auspicious day to worship Lord Hanuman, thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the shrine to offer prayers and receive prasad (sacred food offerings) when the tragedy struck.

Witnesses reported that construction was actively underway on a massive sabha mandap (assembly hall/outer pavilion) adjacent to the main sanctum sanctorum. Chilling CCTV footage that surfaced on social media captured the terrifying moments leading up to the disaster, showing makeshift wooden and bamboo scaffolding pillars violently shaking before completely giving way.

The heavy roof slab, which was reportedly built using heavy interlocking Rajasthan stones and marble blocks, crashed directly onto the dense crowd of worshipers below, giving them no time to escape.

The impact triggered mass panic, with local residents and nearby devotees immediately rushing to clear the heavy stone debris before official emergency services arrived. Shortly after, district administration officials, police personnel, and medical disaster teams arrived at the scene with five heavy excavators and multiple ambulances.

Following the collapse, rescue operations were launched on a war footing as emergency personnel worked tirelessly to pull numerous victims from beneath the crushed scaffolding. Tragically, the disaster resulted in at least six confirmed fatalities, while 16 other devotees sustained severe injuries. The injured individuals were immediately rushed to the Parbhani District Civil Hospital, R P Medical College, and specialized trauma units in Nanded, where several survivors currently remain under critical care.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound sadness over the tragedy, sharing his condolences with the families who lost loved ones and wishing a swift recovery for the injured.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced ex-gratia financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and directed local health officials to ensure top-tier medical care for the survivors.

Local authorities have registered an official inquiry and ordered an immediate structural audit of the entire temple premises. Preliminary investigations suggest possible construction lapses, focusing on whether the heavy roof slab was prematurely or inadequately supported by weak temporary scaffolding.