13 women and girls die after falling into well at pre-wedding ceremony

Thirteen women and girls have died after falling into a well during a pre-wedding celebration in India.

The tragic incident occurred in Kushinagar on Wednesday night during a “haldi” ceremony, in which a turmeric paste is applied the bride and groom to bless the couple and ward off evil spirits.

The victims — who were all guests at the wedding — were sitting on a concrete slab covering an abandoned village well when it collapsed under their weight, local police told news agency ANI.

The well was more than 15 metres deep, rescuer Muralidhar Singh said.

Seven women and six girls, including a one-year-old infant, were killed, CBS News reports.

There are conflicting reports about how many others were injured.

Ten other villagers were injured as they also fell into the well and were hospitalised, sources told AP.

However, CBS and NBC News say only one or two other people who fell were treated for injuries.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a Tweet described the incident as heart-rending and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.

“The death of the villagers, in an unfortunate incident of village Naurangiya School Tola of Kushinagar district, is very sad,” he said.

“My condolences are with the bereaved families of the deceased.”

with AP

Authorities are investigating the incident.

A compensation of A$7,413 has been offered to the families of those who died, CBS reports.

Mr Modi has also announced a seperate compensation of A$3,706 for mourning relatives and A$926 for those who were injured.

Weddings in India are very festive occasions, during which hundreds of guests dance and feats over four days.

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