Four minor girls died after drowning in a pit filled with water on the banks of Bakulahi river in Pratapgarh on Thursday morning, even as allegations of illegal mining of mud from the riverside did the rounds.
Five minor girls, all residents of Dihwa Jalalpur village, had gone to the riverside to dig mud for stoves in their houses, in Chetisingh-Ka-Pura village, under the Maheshganj police station on Thursday morning, in Pratapgarh. While digging the mud the girls fell into the pit and started drowning. By the time villagers rushed to the site and pulled the girls out, four of them had died in the mishap.
Of the four girls who died, three were sisters, while the fourth girl was a neighbour.
The four girls who died in the mishap include Swati (13), Sandhya (12), Chandni (7), all daughters of Jeet Lal, besides Shrishti (7), daughter of Brij Lal.
Villagers alleged that a few days back some people had dug out mud from the riverside with a JCB. This had created a deep pit under the water.
Unfortunately, the girls chose the very spot to take mud for their stoves from, leading to the tragedy.
{{/usCountry}}Unfortunately, the girls chose the very spot to take mud for their stoves from, leading to the tragedy.
{{/usCountry}}Panicked villagers called UP 112 service after which the Maheshganj police station personnel reached the spot and took the girls to community health centre (CHC), Maheshganj, where doctors declared all the four dead.
Jeet Lal alleged that the pit was dug up by JCB for illegal sale of mud. “Illegal digging of mud from the riverside is a common practice. Officials have said that illegal mud sale will be probed but that will not bring my daughters back,” he said.
According to ASP, west, Sanjay Rai, the girls, unaware of the existence of the pit, slipped into it while digging mud for their kitchen walls and stove.
SP, Pratapgarh, Anil Kumar, said that allegations of villagers of illegal digging of mud for sale from the river by JCB will also be probed.
ADM, finance and revenue, Aditya Prajapati, said that a thorough probe would be conducted into the allegations of illegal mining of mud from riverside at the site of mishap.
Meanwhile, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik president Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, Babaganj MLA Vinod Saroj, BJP leader Abhay Pratap Singh Pappan etc. met the aggrieved family members of the deceased and expressed deep sorrow.
On receiving information, SDM Desh Deepak Singh, Naib Tehsildar Ajay Singh, SP, Pratapgarh Anil Kumar, ADM Aditya Prajapati, ASP (West) Sanjay Rai, CO (Sadar) Karishma Gupta, SHO Kunda police station Avan Kumar Dixit, SHO Maheshganj police station Mukesh Kumar Singh, reached the spot of incident.