BHUBANESWAR: Lack of preparedness on the part of the Smart City for monsoon claimed the life of an elderly woman on Thursday night. According to police, 65-year-old T Appalama staying in Salia Sahi was going on flooded Ekamra Villa road at around 7 pm when she slipped from the muddy road into an under-repair drain which was not barricaded.
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The locals rushed to rescue her, but by the time she was brought out of the drain by them, she was dead.
After the incident, Appalama’s family and the locals staged a protest along with the body on the road demanding compensation. However, on assurance of the police of investigation into the matter, they allowed the body to be taken for post-mortem.
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Appalama, belonging to Mandasa village in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, was staying with her family at Adivasi Gaon in Salia Sahi under Nayapalli police limits.
Nayapalli IIC Arun Kumar Swain said it would be investigated to ascertain how Appalama died.
Rain has been continuing from Wednesday night to Thursday in the City. Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, the City registered 22.2 mm rainfall, which led to flooding in low lying areas.
Last year, a man died after falling into a rainwater filled drain at Ganga Nagar. The deceased slipped into the drain while reportedly crossing it and was swept away to a culvert a few metres away.