Varanasi: A 59-year-old labourer was killed after the dome of a nearly 200-year-old Kali temple collapsed in an unexpected direction during its demolition under a road-widening project in Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar (formerly Mughalsarai) late Friday. The incident prompted the district administration to order a probe to ascertain the cause of the accident and fix responsibility.The labourer, Baldev Yadav (40), who was engaged by the company executing the project, was deployed near the barricades to prevent people from approaching the demolition site. When the temple’s dome collapsed, a large portion of the structure fell in an unexpected direction, burying him under the debris.Taking serious note of the incident, senior district officials rushed to the spot. Chandauli Superintendent of Police Akash Patel said on Saturday that the body has been sent for postmortem examination and necessary legal action was being initiated.SDM Rajiv Mohan Saxena said a joint team of district administration officials has been constituted to investigate and determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. “No one found negligent will be spared,” he said, adding that all possible avenues were being explored to ensure maximum financial assistance for the deceased labourer’s family.Following a preliminary inquiry, PWD executive engineer Rajesh Kumar, who is supervising the road widening project, said all necessary safety measures had been put in place around the old Kali temple after its idols were shifted to a newly constructed temple on July 8. According to him, Yadav had been stationed near the barricades to stop anyone from entering the danger zone during the demolition.However, as the temple’s dome and upper structure collapsed, they broke into several pieces, and Yadav was trapped beneath the debris. He was immediately rescued and rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.More than 30 religious structures, including temples and a mosque, are being relocated or removed as part of the project to widen the GT Road into a six-lane highway from Padav, on the Varanasi border, to Chakia Crossing. The iconic 200-year-old Kali temple, located opposite the main entrance of Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, was among the structures affected by the project.Before demolition, a new temple was constructed inside the Subhash Park premises with the consent of the district administration and local residents. After the idol of Maa Kali was ceremonially installed in the new shrine on July 8, demolition of the old temple began.
