3 killed, 3 injured in balcony collapse in Odisha's Cuttack, CM announces compensation

At least three persons, including a minor boy, were killed and three others seriously injured when the balcony of an old apartment building collapsed and fell on an adjacent house here on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place at Mani Sahu Chhak in the city, and all the affected persons belong to one family and were staying at an asbestos-roofed house close to the old apartment.

''The balcony of the apartment fell on our house. My husband, son and grandson died in the incident,'' said the woman of the house.

The deceased persons were identified as Abdul Jalil (60), Abdul Zaheed (30), and Abdul Mujahid (5). The injured persons were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a tour to poll-bound Nuapada, expressed grief over the death of three persons and announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the next of kin of the deceased persons. ''On learning about the loss of lives of three members of a family (Abdul Mujahid, Abdul Zahid and Abdul Jalil) in a tragic incident in Cuttack, Chief Minister Shri @MohanMOdisha has expressed deep grief and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. He has also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) to the next of kin of all the deceased,'' the CMO said in a post on X. The state government has made arrangements for the best treatment of all the injured in this incident, the CMO said.

Fire Service personnel rescued all six persons and took them to SCB Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared three of them dead, police said.

Cuttack-Barabati MLA Sofia Firdous, who visited the spot and met the family members of the victims, said: ''There are several unsafe buildings in the city, and those should be immediately sealed and repaired.'' ''The administration must inquire into the circumstances that led to the death of three persons,'' she said. Meanwhile, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has also announced Rs 10,000 financial assistance each for the next of kin of the victims. The local people alleged that the building was earlier declared unsafe by city authorities. However, despite repeated warnings, it was neither demolished nor vacated, they alleged.