Rourkela:
5 youths on loot mission trapped in RSP tunnel: 1 body recovered; rescue ops underway
Post news network
Rourkela, June 9: The Uditnagar police along with the ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) team and fire officials recovered the body of a youth from the disposal tunnel of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) Saturday evening after a massive rescue operation to locate five youths who had reportedly sneaked into the steel plant to loot scrap material.
The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained. The body was later put in the mortuary of the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). The rescue operation was hampered due to prevailing darkness.
“We are not able to continue the rescue operation due to darkness. The operation will resume tomorrow morning,” said deputy fire officer Binod Singh.
The youths have been identified as Krishna Badaik, 23, Raju Naik, 27, Suraj Kurmi, 28, Suresh Singh, 25, and Gahanu of Sitalpada slum under Uditnagar police station limits which is located in the vicinity of the steel plant.
According to reports, scrap, copper and other material are being stolen from the steel plant by unknown miscreants belonging to Sitalpada slum and sold in the market discreetly for profit. The youth of the slum allegedly sneak into RSP premises through a disposal tunnel and loot scrap for their livelihood.
As per information, nine youths of the slum had entered the plant through the tunnel to rob June 3. Although, five of them managed to escape, four got trapped in the tunnel (Outfall-9) of the plant.
Later, the five youths tied a rope around their waist to rescue the trapped. However, another youth also got trapped in the process. Later, the youths informed the family members of the trapped accomplices who then lodged a complaint with the police.
Even as the looters had gone missing in the tunnel June 3, the matter came to light after their relatives lodged a complaint with Uditnagar police Friday evening.
Locals held the plant authorities responsible for not taking any measures to check the illegal transportation of scrap.
Locals feared, the five might have died of suffocation inside the tunnel while nothing was ascertained till the filing of this report. “Rescue operations are on and nothing can be said now,” a member of the rescue team said.
PNN
