16-yr-old boy dies after 45-foot fall at BAPS temple in US

New York, August 19

A 16-year-old boy in the US has died after falling about 45-feet while volunteering on a construction project inside a Hindu temple in New Jersey, police said.

The boy from Hatfield, Pennsylvania, was volunteering on a construction project at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir campus on Thursday in Robbinsville when he fell, Robbinsville police spokesman Lt Michael Polaski said.

The teen was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, where he died an hour later, NBC Philadelphia reported.

"The victim fell about 45-feet and the fall appears to be an accident, but it is still under investigation," Polaski said.

Police have not released the identity of the victim.

Vinay Limbachia, a volunteer at the temple, said people at the temple were looking into what exactly the boy was helping with.

The temple is inside a larger structure. The boy's fall occurred inside the structure, but in an area next to the temple.

The boy and his family usually worshipped at the faith's temple in Lansdale, Limbachia said.

A second temple remains under construction on the campus.

A spokesperson said the worship site has been built completely by volunteers.

The BAPS called the incident as a "tragic accident" and promised to work with Robbinsville Police.

"The entire BAPS family is heartbroken by the tragic accident that took the life of one of our young volunteers," the organisation said in a statement.

"The prayers, condolences, and support of every BAPS family are with the family of this talented young man, whose loss will be felt by all those fortunate to have known him," they said.

The temple with its intricate marble carvings and Indian design was dedicated in August 2014 and draws thousands of worshipers from around the world.

Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a volunteer-driven religious and charitable organisation founded in the early 20th century and named after Swaminarayan, a religious leader of the late 1700s and early 1800s.

It has major worship centres in Mumbai, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Nairobi, Sydney, and Toronto. —PTI