Chhattisgarh: 3 killed in well collapse in Surajpur

Korba: Three persons were killed when a portion of an under-construction well collapsed on them in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening in Dharsedi village under Odgi police station area when six people were digging the well, they said.

When they were about to finish the day’s work, a mound of mud caved in and all the six persons got trapped under the debris, a police official said.

Local people had managed to pull out three persons from the debris and alerted the police, he said.

A police team started the rescue operation onSunday morning.

“The body of one victim, identified as Nansai Pando (58), was retrieved from the debris this morning while bodies of Dagendra Singh (34) and Sajjan Singh God (42) were found later in the day,” said Surajpur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kukreja.

According to police, Pando was the owner of the plot where the well was being dug under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the incident and directed the Surajpur district administration to provide financial assistance of Rs 5.25 lakh to kin of each of the deceased, an official statement said.