Patana/Jharpokharia/Bhanjanagar: Three people, including a three-year-old girl and two elderly women, were killed in separate wall collapse incidents in Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj and Ganjam districts amid heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure system. In Patana block of Kendu jhar district, Pramila Munda, 3, daughter of Bunty Munda, died after a brick wall of an abandoned house collapsed on her at Munda Sahi, Swam vil lage under Badapatna panchayat Friday afternoon. According to reports, Pramila’s mother, Raimani Munda, had left the girl standing near an abandoned wall of Badula Munda’s house and gone to a nearby field to relieve herself around 1:30pm when heavy rain and strong winds were lashing the area.
Weakened by rain, the wall suddenly collapsed on the child. Raimani and local residents pulled Pramila from beneath the debris and rushed her to the Patana CHC in a 108 ambulance. However, doctors declared her dead on arrival. Patana police registered an unnatural death case (53/26), Sub-Inspector Laxman Kumar Majhi said. The body was handed over to the family members after a post-mortem at the Patana CHC. In another incident, 66-year-old Chunu Naik, wife of Srihari Nayak, died after a mud wall of their house collapsed on her at Uppar Punasia village under Jalda panchayat in Sarasakana block of Mayurbhanj district late Thursday night. Sarasakana Tehsildar Manoj Kumar Karji and Bhurushani Revenue Inspector Pushpalata Patra visited the village and provided Rs 5,000 from the district Red Cross fund to the bereaved family. Jalda sarpanch Nini Nayak provided Rs 3,000 under the Harischandra Sahayata Yojana. Jharkpokharia police registered an unnatural death case (133/26) in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, in Ganjam district, an 80-year-old woman died after the wall of her thatched mud house caved in at Udra village under Belguntha block, Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as Hema Naik. Police recovered her body Friday and sent it to Bhanjanagar Hospital for post-mortem. Although heavy rain eased to some extent in Ganjam district Friday, fear continued to grip residents following rain-related incidents. Hema and her daughter Dukhi were sleeping in the house around 11:30 pm Thursday when the structure suddenly collapsed, leaving both seriously injured. Hema’s son, Garib Naik, who was sleeping in another room, rescued and rushed both of them to Bhanjanagar Hospital for treatment. Hema died while undergoing treatment. Her daughter Dukhi was discharged after receiving treatment and returned home. As Hema’s family is poor, relatives urged the government to provide financial assistance to the bereaved family.
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