Paralakhemundi,(Tarini Prasad Panda): In a heart-rending incident that has plunged the entire region into mourning, two young schoolgirls lost their lives in a tragic collapse of a dilapidated wall near a school gate in Gajapati district.
The sorrowful episode unfolded at the Government Primary School in Rubudising under R. Udayagiri police limits, where laughter of children suddenly turned into cries of despair. While the students were engaged in play, the fragile boundary wall near the school gate gave way without warning, burying two tender lives beneath its ruins.
The victims, Idanti Rait and Beklesan Rait of Rubudising village, were students of Class IV and V, aged merely 9 and 10 years. Their untimely demise has left families shattered and the village enveloped in inconsolable grief.
Police from R. Udayagiri promptly arrived at the scene, recovered the bodies, and sent them to the District Headquarters Hospital at Paralakhemundi for post-mortem. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to unravel the circumstances behind this grievous lapse.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Nuagada Tehsildar and BDO visited the bereaved families and extended immediate assistance of Rs 20,000 each from the Red Cross fund.
Yet, amidst the sorrow, questions echo through the air—who bears the burden of this negligence? How did such a perilous structure stand unnoticed until it claimed innocent lives?
As the village mourns the loss of its young daughters, the silent ruins of the fallen wall stand as a grim reminder of neglect, urging accountability and awakening conscience.
