7 Of A Family Die After Wall Of 400-Years-Old Rajgarh Fort Collapses In Madhya Pradesh's Datia, SDERF Rushes For Rescue; Visuals Surface

Datia (Madhya Pradesh): As many as seven people of a family died after a dilapidated wall of Rajgarh Fort collapsed amid heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh's Datia on Wednesday.

According to information, nine people were trapped as the wall collapsed, neighbors managed to rescue two people from the debris and sent them to the hospital.

The rescue team of SDERF (State Disaster Response Emergency Force), which arrived shortly after, is currently working to rescue two trapped under the rubble.

Those who died were identified as Shivam Vansakar (22), Suraj Vansakar (18), Kishan Vansakar (60), Prabha Vansakar (56), Niranjan Vansakar (60), Mamta Vansakar (55) and Radha Vansakar (25), The injured have been identified as Munna Vansakar (59) and Akash Vansakar (25).

CM Reacts

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav posted on X, "The news of the death of people due to the collapse of the old wall of Rajgarh Fort in Datia is extremely painful. We all are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief."  “Instructions have been given to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased," he wrote.

Incident occurred around 3:30 Am

According to eyewitness Rahul Rajak, at around 3:30 AM, a loud noise woke the neighborhood. On stepping outside, they saw that the fort wall had collapsed. They immediately pulled out two people and called Dial 100 for help. A police officer arrived on the scene and assisted in the rescue efforts.

Currently, Collector Sandeep Makin, SP Virendra Kumar Mishra, and Kotwali TI Dhirendra Mishra are present at the site along with the SDERF team. The police are managing the crowd and trying to calm the local residents.

However, around 8 AM, people began protesting, accusing the rescue team of working too slowly and neglecting the removal of debris. They claimed that, despite starting work at 4 AM, no further people had been rescued.

Narrow roads around the site are making it difficult for large vehicles to access the area. Two excavator machines are positioned at the fort’s entrance, with efforts underway to break the boundary wall to allow access.

Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti has also reached the site. He criticized the district administration, stating that such incidents could be avoided with better preparation.

He called for immediate financial aid of ₹5 lakh for the affected families and ₹2 lakh each for the injured to support their medical treatment. He urged the administration to expedite the rescue operation and safely extract the remaining trapped individuals.