Rayagada (Odisha) : At least five persons including four children were killed after a portion of an under-construction culvert in Uparasaja village under Kalayansingpur block in Rayagada district collapsed this morning. The mishap took place when the children were bathing under the culvert. The family members and local residents rushed to the spot on receiving information about the incident.
The tragedy struck when the victims were bathing in the rainwater that accumulated under the culvert. Search was going on whether some more were trapped in the debris.
The parents of the deceased were seen wailing over the dead bodies of their children. Harrowing scenes were witnessed at the spot. Villagers arrived in large numbers at the fallen culvert despite incessant rain in the area. The authorities initiated an enquiry into the incident. The identities of the victims of the culvert collapse were yet to be confirmed.
The villagers expressed concern over the under construction culvert collapsing under just a few spells of rain. They sought justice for the family members of the deceased. The officials were enquiring into the exact cause of the culvert collapse. Arrangements are being made for handing over the dead bodies to the families of the deceased for conducting last rites. A pall of gloom descended on the village following the death of over four innocent children. Bleeding head injuries were stated to have caused the death of the victims in this incident.
