Teenager's Body Lying in Hospital as Doctors on Strike in Odisha

The family of a teenager who died in a landslide in Odisha's Sundargarh district are unable to perform his last rites as the post-mortem examination has not been conducted even after two days due to ongoing 'ceasework' by doctors, an official said on Friday.

The 18-year-old, a native of Koida area in Sundergarh district, allegedly died in a landslide at an unauthorised manganese mining site on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

He was first rushed to a hospital in Joda in neighbouring Keonjhar district, where he was declared brought dead by doctors. Later, his body was shifted to Barbil hospital for post-mortem examination. However, due to ongoing ceasework by doctors, the autopsy was not conducted till Friday morning, a police officer of Koida police station said.

The body was shifted to Keonjhar district headquarters hospital this morning for the post-mortem, he said.

The police officer, who is looking after the case, said a group of people had gone to unauthorised manganese mines located in the forest area on Wednesday afternoon. As heavy rain occurred in that area on previous days, a portion of the soil collapsed, and two people came under the debris, he said.

One person, identified as Krish Katshav, died in the incident while another minor boy is under treatment in a hospital in the Joda area of Keonjhar district, the officer said. Around 8,000 doctors under the banner of the Odisha Medical Services Association are on a ceasework agitation at district headquarters hospitals and health facilities at sub-divisions and in rural areas since Wednesday.

Due to the doctors' agitation, patient care service has been severely affected in the district and rural hospitals across Odisha, officials said.