French Tourist Dies After Falling off Damaged Railing at Fatehpur Sikri Fort


Even though there were no signs of external bleeding, the tourist, identified as Esma Benyelles, lost consciousness, suggesting a potential head injury. Unfortunately, it took about 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the location.

Updated Sep 21, 2023 | 11:15 PM IST

French Tourist Dies After Falling off Damaged Railing at Fatehpur Sikri Fort

Photo : iStock

Agra : A 61-year-old French tourist allegedly died after falling from a 5-foot-high damaged wooden railing platform at the Fatehpur Sikri Fort on Thursday, about 40 km away from Agra.
Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI ) superintending archaeologist Raj Kumar Patel said, “The wooden railing broke, causing the woman to fall from the six-foot-high platform, landing on a red sandstone floor. ASI staff called an emergency ambulance, but it arrived late,” as per the TOI report.

Even though there were no signs of external bleeding, the tourist, identified as Esma Benyelles, lost consciousness, suggesting a potential head injury. Unfortunately, it took about 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the location. She was then transported to a private hospital in Agra, which was around 40 km away from the monument, where she was subsequently pronounced deceased.

A local tour guide, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The wooden railing that broke had been installed during the pandemic period, but its structure was loose and was damaged due to a lack of proper maintenance. It broke down when a woman leaned on it.”

Patel said, “The railing was placed for the safety of the tourists . It was fixed with wooden blocks, as nailing and drilling in the monument’s structure are not done until the absence of any alternative.

Patel visited the monument after the incident and stated, “I have checked the entire railing. The claim that the railing was damaged, resulting in the accident, is not right. The tourist guide with the French group of tourists should have warned his clients not to put weight on the wooden structure.”

In the meantime, the Agra district magistrate , Bhanu Chandra Goswami, has initiated an official investigation into the foreign guest’s unfortunate death. He promised that they would take the required steps to improve safety measures for tourists at the monument. He also mentioned that the claims about the ambulance being slow to arrive would be looked into as part of the investigation. Anyone responsible for any wrongdoing will face severe consequences.



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