Rayagada: Five persons, including four children, were killed after a section of a culvert, which was under construction, collapsed at Uparasaja village under Kalyansinghpur block in Odisha’s Rayagada district on Monday.
According to sources, the incident took place while the children were bathing under the culvert. While identity of the deceased is yet to be established, they reportedly succumbed to bleeding head injuries caused in the culvert collapse.
A pall of gloom descended on the village following the death of the children. The parents of the deceased were seen wailing over the bodies of their children as villagers gathered in large numbers at the fallen culvert despite incessant rain in the area. They expressed concern over the under-construction culvert collapsing after just a few spells of rain.
While a rescue team, comprising personnel of the fire service and police, was also seen clearing the debris, suspecting that more people might be trapped in there.
Meanwhile, the authorities have initiated an enquiry into the incident.