Parbhani: At least five devotees lost their lives and several others were injured after a section of an under-construction Hanuman temple collapsed in Maharashtra's Parbhani district on Saturday, turning a day of worship into tragedy.

The accident occurred at Yashwadi village on Manwat Road in Parbhani district, around 190 kilometres from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, when a portion of the roof of the temple's under-construction sabha mandap (assembly hall) suddenly gave way.

According to police, the collapse took place at around 3.30 pm while devotees had gathered at the temple. Saturday typically draws larger crowds to Hanuman temples, resulting in significant footfall at the shrine when the structure collapsed.

Rescue teams rushed to the site and launched an operation to pull people from beneath the debris. Authorities said around 25 people had been rescued so far, while several injured devotees were shifted for medical treatment.

Officials confirmed that five people died in the incident. The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, and authorities are expected to conduct an investigation into the structural failure.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government was ensuring medical care for those injured in the accident.

The Chief Minister's Office also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those who died in the collapse.

Rescue and relief operations were continuing at the site as officials assessed the extent of the damage and searched the debris as a precautionary measure.