Patrapur: Four persons including three members of a family suffocated to death while another was rendered critical while dismantling the centering inside an under-construction septic tank at Samantarapur village under this block in Ganjam district Saturday.
The victims were identified as Raju Pradhan (52), Prasant Kumar Pradhan (30) and Padmalochan Pradhan — all relatives of Juria Pradhan and Santosh Pradhan (18). A village youth Khirasindhu Bej tried to rescue them in vain and fell sick after inhaling toxic fumes.
The villagers broke the side wall of the tank and extricated the five persons and rushed them to Patrapur community health centre where doctors declared four of them dead.
Bej’s condition improved after he was administered primary treatment. Police reached the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem to Berhampur. A case was registered in this connection and an investigation is on.
Sarpanch Kashinath Sethy gave away assistance from the Harish Chandra Yojana while villagers demanded compensation from the district Red Cross and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the bereaved family.
The incident triggered shockwaves as residents from neighbouring villages rushed to the spot and mourned the death of the four persons.
The incident occurred when Prasant first lifted the manhole cover of their newly-constructed tank and entered inside to dismantle the centering planks.
He did not return for a long time following which Padmalochan entered inside. Later Raju also followed suit and failed to come outside.
Their relative Santosh who was on a visit to their house went inside but he too failed to come out. A village youth Bej suspected something fishy entered and found all the four writhing in pain and raised an alarm before falling sick. Villagers rushed to the spot and broke the side wall to extricate them. PNN
