HYDERABAD: A couple and their three children died after a wall of their hut collapsed on them at Kothapally village in Jogulamba Gadwal district on Sunday. Two younger children of the couple escaped with injuries. The state government has promised to assist the victims’ family by providing ex gratia.
At 6.30am, neighbours of P Mosha, 40, a farm hand, and his wife Shantamma, 35, from Kothapally village in Aiza mandal of Jogulamba Gadwal district noticed that something was wrong as the panchayat water tap in the house was left open for a long time.
When the neighbours entered the hut, they saw that the cement brick partition wall in the house had collapsed on the seven members of the family. “The two younger children who suffered injuries were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. Their condition is out of danger,” Aiza sub-inspector (SI) G Muthaiah said.
The deceased were identified as Mosha, his wife Shantamma and their three children — Charan,11, Teja, 9, and Ramu, 7. The injured children are five-year-old Sneha and four-year-old Chinna.
Police said the victim’s house, with a thatched roof, had mud and stone walls. Mosha had constructed a mortar brick partition wall in the middle of the house. “Though it rained heavily here, water seepage was not visible inside the house. Though the house was old, the side walls are strong. The partition wall’s base was not built properly and it suddenly collapsed on the family members who were in deep sleep,” Shantinagar circle inspector (CI) Venkateshwarlu said.
Police registered a suspicious death case under Section 174 of the CrPC and shifted the bodies for post-mortem examination on Sunday morning.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was informed about the tragic incident by minister S Nirajnjan Reddy. Gadwal collector Valluri Kranthi visited the village and, after speaking to the relatives, announced that the government would support the family by providing ex gratia.
