Crack triggers panic among residents in Orissa

Balasore, Jul 23 (UNI) A huge crack of nearly 10 feet deep and stretching over nearly half a kilometre has surfaced along the river bank of Budhabalag, triggering panic among the locals.

Over 300 families settled along with the river bank are spending sleepless nights ever since the crack appeared.

CPI leader Jayanta Das has urged the geological experts to investigate the cause and protect the people from danger.

A concrete house belonging to one Baidyanath Sethi has already collapsed due to the crack and the building was tilting further with cracks surfacing on walls and floors of the house.

The family members in a bid to save their life had already abandoned the house and took shelter in a nearby house.

''We could see a crack of only 6 inch deep on Tuesday morning but then it increased and the building collapsed,'' Mr Sethi, a retired PHD employee, said.

The sub-collector who visited the site had reportedly sought technical investigation into the incident.

Civil engineer and architecture Gopinath Rana said the landslide and settlement of soil as a whole was a visible indication adding that the crack might be due to settlement of a strip of earth.

He further said the incident might be immediately referred to the Geological Survey of India for further study and find out the remedial action.

UNI XC-DP KK AB NY RN2025