Jharigaon: Three members of a family were killed while three others sustained critical injuries in a landslide while they were collecting coloured soils at Mangalisahi in Bharandipara village under this block in Nabarangpur district Friday.
The deceased were identified as Chandra Gaida (16), son of Chukadhar Gaida, Radhika Gaida(26), wife of Mangalsai Gaida, Nilendri Gaida (24), wife of Nanda Gaida of Siunaguda village under Chitabeda panchayat. The deceased were brother-in-law and sisters-in-law in relationship.
The injured Gajamati Gaida (17), Bhagabati Gaida (13) and Jaymani Bhatra (16) were rescued from the jaws of death by fire and police officials while four escaped unhurt. The incident has spread shockwaves in the area while a pal of gloom descended on the village after reports about their deaths spread. On being informed, Jharigaon fire and police personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the injured trapped under the heap of soil. Police sent the bodies for post-mortem and registered a case in this connection.
Police had to ferry the bodies from the hospital to the post-mortem room in a fire department vehicle as no ambulance was available at the hospital.
They were rushed to Jharigaon hospital where doctor Debashis Tripathy pronounced the two women and the minor boy dead while admitting the three injured persons for treatment.
The incident occurred when 10 members of a family including women in Siunaguda village under Chitabeda panchayat had gone to collect coloured soil for Deewali festival from Mangalisahi in Bharandipara village in an auto-rickshaw. Deewali is celebrated in the region in the month of December.
They reached Mangalisahi and were collecting the soil from a pit when the soil on the surface collapsed and buried them inside the pit. No block and district officials reached the place even after being informed while hundreds of villagers thronged the site on hearing about the mishap. The insensitive attitude of the officials has drawn severe flak from locals. PNN
