MALKANGIRI: Two kids drowned after falling into a water-filled ditch at Dhepa Sahi within Chitrakonda police limits here on Thursday. The victims were identified as Subhadra Kamhar (4) and Sumee Janam (3). The tragic incident took place in the morning.
Sources said the two girls were playing near the village road when they accidentally fell into the ditch. The pit was reportedly dug by a local contractor engaged in road construction work. When the kids did not reach home, their family members got worried and launched a frantic search for them
After an hour, villagers found the duo in the pit. They were rushed to Chitrakonda sub-divisional hospital where the doctors declared them dead.
Following the incident, tension flared up in Dhepa Sahi as villagers blamed the contractor for the deaths. “The contractor had dug the ditch to store water during road construction work. After completion of work, the pit was not filled up. The callousness of the contractor resulted in the death of two innocent kids. Police should take strong action against the contractor,” they said.
Villagers also demanded compensation for the families of the two girls. No complaint was lodged with police in this connection till reports last came in. In a separate incident, a four-year-old child of Kadguma village in Chitrakonda’s Badpadar panchayat drowned in a pond on the day. The child was identified as Sushant Khara.
Sources said Sushant along with some of his friends was playing near the village pond when he slipped and fell into the water body. As the kid started to drown, his friends rushed back to the village and informed his family members.
Villagers including Sushant’s father Narsu Khara rushed to spot. But by then, the child had already died. Chitrakonda police registered an unnatural death case in this connection and seized the body for postmortem.