Kendrapara, Sept 4: A man was killed and his wife sustained critical injuries after a mud wall collapsed on them while they were asleep at their home in Tulasipur village under Marshaghai police limits in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.

The deceased has been identified as Hrushikesh Jena, while his wife, Renuka, is undergoing treatment at Kendrapara District Headquarters Hospital.

According to reports, the incident occurred late Thursday night. The couple was sleeping inside their thatched house when a mud wall, weakened after soaking in continuous rain, suddenly collapsed on them.

Hearing Renuka’s cries for help, local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the couple from beneath the debris. They were initially taken to Marshaghai Medical Centre, where doctors declared Hrushikesh dead.

As Renuka was seriously injured, she was later shifted to the Kendrapara hospital for further treatment.

Marshaghai police reached the spot and have launched an investigation into the incident.

The incident is suspected to have occurred due to the prolonged rainfall that weakened the mud walls of the thatched house.