BERHAMPUR: A man reportedly died after falling into an open drain on MKCG Medical College and Hospital campus in Berhampur on Friday.
Though the deceased is yet to be identified, police said he is in his forties. According to residents on the campus, the man was seen roaming in the area since the last four to five days. He seemed to be mentally unstable.
Sources said in the morning, some passersby spotted the man lying unconscious inside the drain and raised an alarm. Receiving information, registrar of the MCH Sweta Kumar Dash along with some staff reached the spot and rescued the man. He was brought to the casualty ward where doctors declared him brought dead.
On being informed, police reached the hospital and seized the body for postmortem. An unnatural death case has been registered and efforts are on to determine the identity of the deceased. Further investigation is underway, police said.
The MCH campus has large drains which are uncovered at several places. The MKCG authorities claimed it is the responsibility of the Roads and Building (R&B) division to cover the drains. However, R&B officials said as the drains are located on the medical college campus, the MCH authorities should cover them.
Sources said the road along the open drain near the MKCG playground is full of potholes. Last year, a couple along with their two kids fell into the open drain while passing on the road. Luckily, they were rescued by locals with minor injuries. Following the incident, the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) barricaded the drain with bamboo poles.
In 2022, the urban development directorate had directed the BeMC to cover all the open drains in the city. However, major drains are yet to be covered at several places including the MKCG MCH campus.
