AGRA: At least five ‘chajjas’ - overhanging roofs of Mughal period - made of red stone at a 'langar khana' in Fatehpur Sikri collapsed after lightning struck the monument during a thunderstorm on Sunday evening. Two local residents, who were near the spot, sustained minor injuries.
The langar khana is located outside the southeast of Jama Masjid. The open court with a cloister around it was used as a community kitchen to feed the poor during the Mughal period.
Conservation assistant (Agra circle), Kalandar, told TOI that five 'chajjas', around 2m long and 35cm wide each collapsed from a height of 10m.
He said, though lightning conductors were installed in the complex, the actual cause will be known after a proper inspection.
“We will visit the site tomorrow with engineers to assess what exactly happened,” he said, adding the area is not open for tourists, but locals enter the place, which is about 25m from the Buland Darwaza.
Nazruddin, who was present there, claimed the lightning struck and the stones fell from the top. “Two teenage boys who were sitting there sustained minor injuries. They were sent to a primary health care centre for treatment," he added.
