A tragic incident in West Bengal’s Hooghly district claimed the lives of a father and his minor daughter after their mud house collapsed following days of continuous rainfall, with allegations emerging that incomplete funds under a government housing scheme forced the family to continue living in unsafe conditions.
The deceased have been identified as Gour Malik (56), a vegetable vendor, and his 12-year-old daughter Mama. The incident took place early on Friday at Mogra in Hooghly district.
According to local residents, a loud crashing sound was heard around 2:00 am, prompting neighbours to rush outside. They found that the mud house had collapsed. Locals immediately began rescue efforts and alerted the police.
Personnel from Mogra police station arrived at the spot and launched a rescue operation, eventually recovering the bodies of the father and daughter from the debris. The bodies were later sent to Chinsurah Imambara Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Family members said Gour lived in the mud house with his daughter, while his son, Prosenjit, works outside the area. It is alleged that a house had been sanctioned for Gour under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by the local gram panchayat, but he did not receive the full amount required for construction.
Due to the incomplete release of funds, the permanent house remained unfinished, forcing the family to continue living in the mud structure. Continuous rainfall over the past few days reportedly weakened the walls, leading to the collapse.
Locals and family members have alleged that although funds were sanctioned, delays and incomplete disbursement prevented completion of the house. While construction had begun with the initial amount, the second instalment was reportedly never received.
Recounting the incident, Prosenjit said he had last spoken to his father just days earlier and had planned to visit home soon.
“Neighbours called me to inform about the accident. I had told my father to break that weak wall and put up a bamboo fence, but he didn’t listen. I was planning to come home on Sunday with some money,” he said.
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