Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the family of the three persons, which died after the balcony of an old five-story apartment collapsed onto an adjacent house in Buxi Bazar area in Odisha’s Cuttack city last evening.
The deceased are Abdul Jalil (60), son Abdul Jahid (30) and grandson Abdul Mujahid (4), all belonging to one family. Three more persons – Jahid’s wife Saina Begum and Reha Khan (8) and Rehamatun Nissa (50), both from the same neighbourhood, suffered serious injuries as the asbestos roof of their house near Hadi Bandhu School in Mani Sahu Chhak area caved in after the dilapidated balcony fell on it at around 4.45 pm.
All six persons were rescued by Fire Service personnel and taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared three of them dead.
“On learning about the loss of lives of three members of a family (Abdul Mujahid, Abdul Zahid and Abdul Jalil) in a tragic incident in Cuttack, Chief Minister Shri @MohanMOdisha has expressed deep grief and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. He has also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the next of kin of all the deceased,” the CMO said in a post on X.
It further stated that arrangements have been made to provide best treatment to the injured.
The tragic incident sparked widespread outrage among residents who blamed the civic administration for negligence in enforcing safety regulations despite the Orissa High Court’s prior orders to demolish structurally compromised buildings.
“There are several unsafe buildings in the city, and those should be immediately sealed and repaired. The administration must inquire into the circumstances that led to the death of three persons,” said Cuttack-Barabati MLA Sofia Firdous, who visited the spot and met the family members of the victims.
Meanwhile, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has also announced Rs 10,000 financial assistance each for the next of kin of the victims.
