Thirteen women died on Wednesday night after accidentally falling down a well in a northern Indian state, local police said.

The women had gathered for wedding celebrations in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state.

How did the accident happen?

The women were sitting on an iron slab covering the well when it gave way, senior police officer Akhil Kumar told reporters.

Kushinagar District Magistrate S. Rajalingam said the well was old and could not take the weight of that many people resting over the iron slab.

"The victims fell down and were crushed under the debris," Rajalingam said.

The accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. local time (4 p.m. CET), police officer Kumar said.

Prime Minister Modi sends condolences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the accident, saying it was "heart-wrenching" news.

"I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. With this, I wish the injured a speedy recovery. The local administration is involved in all possible help," he said.

In 2017, 24 attendees at a wedding were killed in the northwestern state of Rajasthan after a wall crashed down on them during a storm.

rm/rt (AFP, Reuters)