14 staff injured in Holi fire mishap at Ujjain Mahakal temple; 9 critical.

When the incident occurred, thousands of devotees were celebrating Holi inside the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain

Updated on: Mar 25, 2024, 11:03:23 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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At least 14 staff, including a priest, were injured in a fire that broke out in the sanctum sanctorum of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple during Holi on Monday morning, police said.

Relatives and family members outside the burn ward of a hospital where the people who were injured in a fire that broke out in the Mahakal temple are being treated in Ujjain. (PTI)

The condition of nine is said to be critical. They have been referred to Indore. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered in the matter.

At the time of the accident, thousands of devotees were celebrating Holi inside the temple.

Ujjain superintendent of police Pradeep Sharma said, “One of the injured said that someone threw gulaal on priest Sanjeev from behind while he was performing the aarti. The gulaal fell on the lamp. It is believed that there was some chemical in the gulaal which caused the fire.” The matter is being probed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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