Bhopal: Five labourers lost their lives after loose soil caved in during the excavation of a government well under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district on Tuesday. The tragic incident took place in Nayapura hamlet of Biharpurwa village under Ajaigarh janpad, where well-digging work had been ongoing for the past 10 days in a field owned by Binnu Ahirwar.
Sequence of Events
According to officials, seven labourers were inside the well when two of them stepped out to drink water. Moments later, the surrounding soil suddenly collapsed, trapping the remaining five workers under the debris. A rescue operation launched by the local administration continued for nearly three hours, but all five workers were pulled out dead. The deceased were identified as Ashish Yadav, Rajkumar Yadav, Rampal Yadav, Chunnu Yadav, and Chunwad Pal.
Preliminary Findings
Preliminary investigations indicated that the soil at the site was extremely loose, and excavation work was allegedly carried out without adequate safety measures. District Collector Usha Parmar and Superintendent of Police Nivedita Naidu reached the spot and monitored the rescue operation. The bodies were sent to Ajaigarh Community Health Centre for postmortem examination, while police and revenue officials have launched an inquiry into the incident.
Government Response
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased. The administration has assured strict action against those responsible for negligence. The incident has raised serious questions about safety protocols in MGNREGA projects across the state.
