The tragedy happened when the victims were bathing under a culvert.
BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: Five people, including four children, were killed when a portion of an under-construction culvert caved in at Uparasaja village in Rayagada district’s Kalyanasingpur block.
The tragedy happened when the victims were bathing under the culvert, said police sources.
The deceased were identified as Laxmidhar Miniaka (50), his son Prince (4), siblings Charan Miniaka (8) and Suman (5), and Manoj Kulesika (5). Another six-year-old boy named Anesh Miniaka sustained injuries in the incident and was rushed to a hospital.
Rayagada SP Vivekanand Sharma confirmed the incident and said a thorough investigation has been launched into the matter.
Police sources said a man identified as Iswar Chetty has taken the contract to construct a road on the 4.5 km long stretch under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
A culvert to accommodate the flow of a waterbed intersecting the stretch is also being constructed at a cost of Rs 17 lakh.
The construction started about two months back. However, the construction of the culvert stopped after the completion of its shuttering work (support beams) due to the rains in the district. The villagers are dependent on the waterbed for bathing and washing their kitchen utensils.