Keonjhar: In a tragic incident, a two-year-old boy died after falling into a deep pit allegedly left open by a company executing drinking water project at a village in Odisha’s Keonjhar district.
The incident reportedly took place at Jhanjhana village under Anandapur sub-division of the district on Sunday afternoon.
Sources said that a leakage had appeared in a pipeline laid under the mega drinking water project around five years ago. The company authorities had dug a large and deep pit in the middle of the village road to repair the pipeline.
Locals alleged that the repair work was left incomplete and the pit remained uncovered for a long time, posing serious danger to residents.
The deceased child has been identified as Anil, son of Arun Khandei of the village. On Sunday afternoon, the boy was reportedly playing near the area when he accidentally fell into the open pit.
As the boy went missing, family members and villagers launched a frantic search. Later in the evening, the child’s body was recovered from the pit and sent to the Anandapur Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Alleging negligence on the part of the company. villagers demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved family and immediate steps to fill up the hazardous pit to prevent further mishaps.
