A boy was killed after being crushed by a hume pipe at Lal Durbar area in Birgunj on Monday evening. Police said 8-year-old Rohit Chaudhary of Birgunj-11, who was critically injured in the incident, died while undergoing treatment at Birgunj-based hospital.

Three other children injured in the incident are receiving treatment at various health facilities. Locals said the hume pipe began to roll and trapped six children.

“We rescued two children and four others were taken out with the help of a bull dozer,” said Nitesh Subedi, an eyewitness. Mayor of Birgunj Metropolis Bijaya Sarawagi said that Kalika Constructions had kept the pipes in the area with permission. “In the past, Kalika Constructions had placed hume pipes in a managed way. Some of the hume pipes were moved from there to organise religious programmes for the Dashain festival,” said Sarawagi, adding that the accident occurred as the pipes became unbalanced.