In a devastating incident on July 6, 2025, in Balipatana, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, two tribal workers, Tulia Ho and Dalo Ho, lost their lives, and another, Kusha Ho, was critically injured when a 30-foot section of the Bengabati Upper Primary School’s boundary wall collapsed.
The accident occurred around 5 PM near Athantara’s Bengabati Basti during drainage construction alongside a road expansion project. The ₹10 crore-plus project has been ongoing since January 2024. The workers belonging to Tile village and Sankhana village, under the Shoṣa police station area in Keonjhar, were digging a trench over four feet deep using a JCB machine.
Despite rainy conditions, no safety measures, such as helmets or structural supports, were in place. Eyewitnesses reported the sudden collapse of the school wall, burying the three workers. Locals quickly mobilised a JCB to clear the debris and rushed the victims to Balipatana Community Health Centre, a kilometre away.
Tragically, one worker was declared dead on arrival, and another succumbed at the health centre. Kanda Ho, the sole survivor, was transferred to Capital Hospital after a delayed ambulance response, where he remains in critical condition.
