SAMBALPUR: In a shocking incident, a 12-year-old boy was killed after an electricity pole collapsed on him near Budharaja Upper Primary School here on Monday afternoon. The deceased, identified as Deepu Yadav, son of Dev Kumar Yadav, was a Class 6 student of the school.
According to eyewitnesses, the mishap occurred around 4 pm when workers were dismantling electricity poles as part of a railway line expansion project near the school boundary. One of the poles, reportedly destabilised by ongoing construction activities, suddenly gave way and toppled inside the school premises.
At that time, Deepu had stepped out to relieve himself and was standing near the boundary wall when the pole fell directly on him. He sustained fatal injuries and was rushed to the district headquarters hospital by school authorities, where doctors declared him dead.
Locals and parents expressed outrage over the absence of safety measures around the construction site, alleging that the contractor failed to cordon off the area or take precautions despite its proximity to the school. They have demanded strict action against those responsible for the negligence.
Following the incident, senior police officials and railway officers visited the hospital, where the body was kept for postmortem. There was palpable tension and chaos in the hospital.
Sources informed, the district administration has ordered a probe into the matter and directed the railway and electricity departments to review their safety protocols to prevent such tragedies.
Expressing deep sorrow, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family and announced an ex -gratia of `4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan expressed grief and offered condolences to the family of the deceased boy.