Three killed, 1 injured in Keonjhar as Kalabaisakhi storm wreaks havoc

Keonjhar: As many as three persons were killed while another sustained critical injuries after a tent reportedly collapsed on them following a strong Kalabaisakhi storm in Odisha’s Keonjhar district this afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, four persons were sleeping under a tent near a house in Narayanpur area under Keonjhar Town Police Station limits when a strong Kalabaisakhi storm wreaked havoc in the area at around 2.30 PM.

The tent was erected reportedly to store several tent materials like cloths, structural support poles including bamboos and iron rods, ground anchors, tensioning cords and etc. However, following strong wind in the area, the tent and the tent materials collapsed on the four persons prompting the locals to launch a rescue operation.

As they failed in their bid to reach the four persons and rescue them, they immediately informed the local fire services about the mishap. Soon, a team of fire fighters and local police rushed to the spot and admitted all the four persons at the hospital after rescuing them from the debris.

But unfortunately, three of them were declared dead by the doctors, while another is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Police also launched an investigation into the matter to ascertain under what circumstances the mishap occurred and caused the death of three innocent persons. Their bodies were also sent for postmortem. The local Tahasildar also reached the area for an inspection.

Meanwhile, the villagers demanded adequate compensation for the kn of the deceased persons and injured persons.