‘Child laborer’ hand broken in oil mill in Kalahandi

Bhawanipatna: A minor boy working as a labourer at an oil mill in Lanjigarh area of Odisha’s Kalahandi district has allegedly lost a hand while working. He has been shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar where his condition is stated to be critical.

According to sources, 15-year-old Sushant Majhi, a native of Dhadei under Lanjigarh block, was milling sunflower seeds on Friday afternoon when his left hand accidentally got stuck in the cogs of the oil mill at Dumermunda under Biswanathpur panchayat. The hand got severed and remained stuck in the machine for hours.

It was alleged that the mill owner did not inform anyone about the mishap and tried to hush it up. However, locals demanded immediate treatment of the injured boy.

Later, the mill owner admitted the boy to Biswanthpur Community Health Centre from where he was shifted to the district headquarters hospital. As his condition deteriorated, the body was shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar.

“After the boy was admitted to the Biswanthpur CHC, the hospital authorities had informed about the incident to local police,” said Lanjigarh Medical Officer Tejeswar Nayak.

However, local residents demanded criminal proceedings against the mill owner and adequate compensation to the boy’s family.