At least 12 persons, including four women and five children, were killed and two others injured when a huge pile of garbage fell over their huts today due to heavy rains in Gadarwara town, police said.
The incident occurred, about 50 km away from the district headquarter, when a huge pile of garbage fell over a cluster of huts situated beneath a raised ground due to heavy rains trapping number of persons under it, Gadarwara Town Inspector Shailesh Mishra told reporters.
Soon after the incident fire brigade personnel and other staff of the local municipal body rushed to the spot to launch a rescue operation but by then 12 persons have lost their lives, police said.
So far 12 bodies have been taken out from the collapsed huts, Mishra said adding chances of more persons trapped under the garbage is not ruled out.
Narisinghpur Collector, Sanjeev Singh announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2.5 lakh each for the kin of those killed in the incident.
Two girls sustained serious injuries in the incident and are undergoing treatment in a hospital.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to those injured.
The administration has shifted nearly 40 people to safer places in the town and made arrangements for their stay and food in a relief camp.
