Two persons were killed when the wall of an old building at the outer yard of the Sri Veerabhadra Temple, where renovation works were going on, collapsed at Hiriyadka village, Udupi district, on Saturday. Six people have been injured in the incident.

The deceased have been identified as Prasad (25) and Lokesh Shettigar (25). The injured persons have been identified as Prakash (28), Rajesh (40), Ajay (26), Shyamaraya Acharya (50) and Ramesh. Another person, Shivaprasad (38), is critical.

The dismantling work of the old building on the outer yard had started on Saturday morning. A large number of persons were participating in the dismantling work .

Some of them were dismantling the wooden roof of the first floor of the old building when the wall fell on eight persons who were working there.

According to Malappa Revannavar, village accountant, the eight injured were removed from the rubble and rushed to Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, where Prasad and Lokesh died.

While, Shivaprasad, Prakash, Rajesh, Ajay, and Shyamaraya Acharya were receiving treatment at Kasturha Hospital, Ramesh was receiving treatment at Kamath Nursing Home in Hiriyadka, Mr. Revannavar said. Superintendent of Police, K. Annamalai, said that rainwater might have seeped into the wall as it was an old building and this might have weakened the structure leading to the collapse.

About 200 youth of the village were volunteering for the renovation work. “A large number of youth had participated in the dismantling work,” said Ashok, Village Assistant. The previous renovation of the temple is said to have been done in 1954.

Meanwhile, Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports, visited the hospital and consoled the relatives of the deceased.

Mr. Madhwaraj said that he would find out it if there was any provision to give compensation to the kin of the deceased.