E-Paper
Five, including four children, die after under-construction culvert in Odisha collapses
A woman who lost her husband and child in the incident tried to die by suicide. She is being treated at a local hospital
Bhubaneswar: Five persons including four children were killed on Monday morning when an under-construction culvert collapsed on them in the Rayagada district of Odisha.
Officials said the victims were bathing under the culvert being constructed in Uparasaja village under Kalayansingpur tehsil when the incident took place. The four children were aged about 5.
Officials added that Dipai Miniaka, a woman who lost her husband and child in the incident, tried to die by suicide. She was admitted to a local hospital and is being treated for poisoning. Her condition is stated to be serious.
Kalyansinghpur block development officer Sunil Khara said the culvert was being constructed for the last two months. “The villagers are dependent on the waterbed for bathing and washing utensils. Those who were bathing under it were buried under the debris when the support beams of the culvert gave in,” he said.
Khara added that the precise reason behind the collapse is yet to be ascertained but heavy rains in the region could have weakened the structure.
The culvert was being constructed to accommodate the flow of a waterbed intersecting the stretch at a cost of ₹17 lakh. It was part of ₹2 crore contract to construct a 4.5 km stretch under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Odisha scheduled castes and tribes minister Jagannath Saraka visited the site. Saraka, who is also the state’s law minister, said a probe will be held to investigate if the construction was of poor quality. Action will be taken against the contractor, he said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced ex gratia assistance of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
