Gajapati: A pall of gloom has descended over the Rubudisingh area in Gajapati district after two minor girl students died when a school boundary wall collapsed on Wednesday.

According to reports, a Class IV student and a Class V student were playing near the boundary wall of Rubudisingh Primary School after classes had ended. Locals said the wall had been in a weak condition for several years. It suddenly gave way, trapping the two girls underneath and leading to their deaths.

The deceased have been identified as Idanti Raita (Class IV) aged nine and Bekilesa Raita (Class V) aged ten.

On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and began an investigation into the incident. The bodies have been sent to the Paralakhemundi hospital for the post mortem.

The tragic deaths have left residents of the area in shock, raising concerns over the safety of school infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of the two students.

Terming the incident as unfortunate, the Chief Minister announced a detailed inquiry to ascertain the circumstances that led to the mishap. He ordered a Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC)-level probe into the incident, with the RDC (Southern Division) tasked to conduct a thorough investigation.

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister also announced financial assistance of ₹3 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.