10-year-old boy killed in Dera Bassi roof collapse

Tribune News Service

Dera Bassi, April 11

A 10-year-old boy died while four family members suffered injuries when a part of the roof of their house in Mirpur fell around 11 pm on Saturday.

The family of five was fast asleep when the tragedy befell them. Residents rushed to the victims’ rescue on hearing their cries and brought them out of a pile of debris.

The head of the family, Ram Kumar, 35, wife Geeta Rani 30, their son Amit Kumar, 15, daughter Deeksha, 13, and Harjit, 10, suffered injuries in the roof collapse.

The victims were rushed to the Dera Bassi Civil Hospital from where Harjit Singh was referred to Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, Chandigarh, where he died during the treatment.

Eyewitness said the earthen house was old and in a dilapidated condition. Residents alleged that the BPL family was sanctioned a grant of Rs1.5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for upgrading the house five years ago, but the money was not released to it.

“Several houses in this village are old and dilapidated. Officials come and go but the grant never reaches us,” they alleged. Dera Bassi MLA NK Sharma visited the site on Sunday morning and demanded compensation and a government job for a family member.

Dera Bassi SDM Kuldeep Bawa said, “The child died due to suffocation as he got trapped in the debris. The family members do not wish to get the post-mortem conducted.”

‘PMAY grant did not reach family’

Eyewitness said the house was old and dilapidated. Residents alleged that the BPL family was sanctioned a grant of Rs1.5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for upgrading the house five years ago, but the money was not released to it.

‘Child suffocated to death in debris’

Dera Bassi SDM Kuldeep Bawa said, “The child died due to suffocation as he got trapped in the debris. The family members do not wish to get the post-mortem conducted.”

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