This video of a ropeway accident is not from Varanasi; it shows an accident at Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh
A video (here, here and here) going viral on social media claims to show a ropeway accident in Varanasi. In the clip, the first part shows a ropeway trolley starting with passengers inside. The next scene cuts to a trolley lying on the ground with injured people around it. The video is being shared with the claim that it is from the recent inauguration of a government ropeway project in Varanasi. Let’s check the truth behind this claim.
Claim: The viral video shows a ropeway accident during the inauguration of a new government ropeway in Varanasi.
Fact: The video is not from Varanasi. It actually shows a ropeway accident at the Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh, where six people, including BJP leaders Ramsevak Paikra and Bharat Verma, were injured while descending the hill. Additionally, the ropeway in Varanasi is still under construction and not operational. Hence the claim FALSE.
A keyword search about the ropeway in Varanasi revealed that it is still under construction, with trial runs currently being conducted. It is planned to open next year.
To verify the claim, we performed a reverse image search on Google, which led us to several YouTube news reports carrying the same video (here, here and here). One such report by NDTV MP Chhattisgarh mentioned that the incident took place at the Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, located in the Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. According to the report, two BJP leaders were injured in the accident.
Further search led us to several news reports, including stills from the viral video. According to these reports (here, here and here), a ropeway trolley accident occurred on 25 April 2025 at the Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, while descending from the hill. BJP leaders Ramsevak Paikra and Bharat Verma sustained injuries, and BJP leader Daya Singh, along with Temple Trust President Manoj Agarwal, were also inside the trolley at the time. The accident left six passengers injured, with one reported seriously hurt, and the injured were shifted to Rajnandgaon Hospital for treatment.
Additionally, the UP Police fact-check team and Varanasi Police clarified that the incident did not take place in Varanasi, and that it took place at the Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh.
To sum up, this video of a ropeway accident is not from Varanasi; it shows an accident at Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh.