Patna: Four minor girls, including two siblings, lost their lives after being buried under an old mound of earth in Buxar district on Sunday. The condition of another girl, who was injured, remained critical.
The incident took place near Sarenja Rajkiya Buniyadi School under the Rajpur police station area. The girls were digging soil for household purposes when the mound suddenly collapsed, trapping all five. Locals, alerted by their cries, rushed to the site, removed the debris and rescued the girls. However, doctors at the hospital declared four of them dead.
The deceased were identified as Nayantara Kumari (11) and Shalini Kumari (8), daughters of Shyam Narayan; Shivani Kumari (6), daughter of Ramesh Ram and Sanju Kumari (11), daughter of Tinku Ram. The injured girl, Karishma (10), is the daughter of Ramchandra. All the girls had gone to collect soil for making an earthen stove and cleaning the house.
SHO of Rajpur police station, Santosh Kumar, said, “There is a Mahadalit Tola on the outskirts of Sarenja village. Behind the school, the girls were digging for soil when the mound collapsed. Four girls lost their lives and one is injured. The bodies were sent for postmortem and an investigation has been started.”
Shivani’s father, Ramesh Ram, said, “We were working at home when we heard the girls were trapped. My daughter went with them without our knowledge. I came home for Chhath from Patna, where I work as a snack vendor. Shivani was my only child.”
Shyam Narayan, father of Nayantara and Shalini, said, “We were sitting at home when we heard the commotion. Both my daughters were trapped under the debris. I have been jobless since 2005 due to a leg injury. Now, I have lost two of my children.”