Incident at Chowk Bazaar mosque takes place amid heavy rain, locals suspect old structure and continuous rainfall may have weakened dome
MATHURA — A part of the dome of historic Jama Masjid in Mathura’s Chowk Bazaar area collapsed on Wednesday evening while prayers were being offered inside the mosque. No one was injured in the incident as the debris fell on the upper roof of the mosque instead of the road or the prayer area.
The incident took place at around 7 pm, creating panic among people in the area. The collapse occurred during a period of continuous rainfall for the last three days, and local residents suspect that the old structure may have weakened due to rain.
However, the exact reason behind the collapse has not been officially confirmed yet.
According to local residents, a loud sound similar to an explosion was heard from the Jama Masjid on Wednesday evening. Hearing the sound, people nearby rushed towards the mosque and found that a portion of the dome had broken and fallen on the upper roof.
At the time of the incident, people were offering namaz inside the mosque, but no injuries were reported.
Photos and videos of the damaged portion of the dome were later shared on social media by local residents. Eyewitness Sachin Agrawal said that a sudden loud sound was heard, following which people gathered near the mosque.
A shopkeeper near the mosque said that after hearing the sound, he came outside and saw that a part of the dome had broken.
Local residents believe that continuous rainfall over the past few days may have weakened the dome, leading to the collapse. However, officials said that the actual cause would only be known after a proper inspection.
Members of the Jama Masjid committee have not made any statement regarding the incident so far. It is being reported that the plaster of the dome fell, but it will become clear after investigation whether only the plaster was damaged or if the structure of the building was also affected.
After the incident, local people demanded technical inspections of old and historic buildings at regular intervals to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Residents expressed relief that no one was injured in the incident and said that timely inspection and maintenance of old structures are needed to avoid risks.
