As many as three children were injured after falling into an open molten tar container kept for road construction work at Kankana village under Bamebari police station in Keonjhar district on Sunday.
As per reports, road construction work connecting Jhumpura to Kankana is currently underway but it was temporarily halted due to Holi celebration in the area. However, the molten tar container was left open by the contractor on the road side and the tar melted in the scorching summer.
One of the three children reportedly fell into the container while they were playing near it along the roadside. Subsequently, the other two also fell into the container while trying to rescue their friend.
Fortunately, the villagers spotted the children early and rescued them immediately from the container. They tried to remove the tar from their bodies following consultation with the doctors of the nearby medical. The health conditions of the children are stated to be stable. They will be admitted to the hospital after the removal process, said sources.
Meanwhile, tension is running high in the area over the carelessness and lackadaisical attitude of the contractor.
“The contractor has jeoparadised lives of the villagers by keeping the molten tar container open. Had the villagers not spotted the helpless children, it could have been a disaster. The contractor should be punished as per the provision in law,” said a villager.