Mahakal temple fire: 79-yr-old 'sevak' succumbs to injuries

Indore: A 79-year-old 'sevak', who was among the 14 persons injured in a fire at the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain last month, died during treatment at a hospital in Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, an official said.

The fire broke out in the temple's sanctum sanctorum on March 25 during the famous 'bhasma aarti' ritual as 'gulal' (coloured powder fell) on the puja thali that contained burning camphor.

Fourteen persons, including priests and 'sevaks' (servitors) were injured in the blaze.

"Satyanarayan Soni (79), sevadar at the Mahakaleshwar temple, was first sent to a private hospital in Indore and when his condition did not improve, he was admitted to the National Burns Centre in Mumbai," Ujjain District Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh told PTI.

"He died during treatment in the hospital in Mumbai. He was already suffering from diabetes," the official said.

The collector said three persons who suffered burns in the fire are currently admitted in the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences in Indore, while the other injured persons have recovered after treatment.