Drilling on DRDO campus claims 2 lives

BALASORE:AT least two labourers were electrocuted and four others sustained injuries while drilling work was underway on the premises of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Chandipur on Wednesday. The deceased are Manika Khilar (40) of Srikona and Kusha Manna (25) of Talabani under Chandipur police limits. Though they were immediately rushed to the nearby health centre, doctors declared them brought dead.

Four other labourers, including three women who suffered electric shock, have been admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Their condition is stable now.IIC of Chandipur police station, Rajendra Dash, said the mishap took place when a group of labourers were busy drilling ground for erection of electric poles for periphery lighting.The drilling machine hit the underground electric cable killing two on the spot.

The contract for periphery lighting was awarded to Military Engineering Service (MES), one of largest construction and maintenance agencies in the country which comes under Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The officials of Integrated Test Range (ITR), a unit of DRDO, took the injured persons to the DHH and made necessary arrangements for their treatment.

Tension prevailed in the area as the news of the deaths spread in the locality. Locals demanded ex gratia of `20 lakh for the family members of each deceased and adequate compensation for the injured. Sub-Collector Bhabataran Sahu directed the CDMO to provide free treatment to the injured.

“Negotiation is on for finalisation of compensation amount. We would set up a fact-finding team to ascertain the exact cause of mishap. Whosoever is responsible for it would be punished as per law,” informed a senior MoD official and claimed that the area where the underground cabling has been done is well marked with signages.Police have registered a case.