At least five persons, including two women and a minor boy, were killed and six others suffered grievous injuries when the ground they were digging caved in at a village under Ujiyarpur block in Samastipur district on Friday.

The incident occurred around 6am when the victims had gone to collect mud from a pond for Chhath celebrations on the outskirts of Nazirpur village. Twenty people, who were digging the ground to make earthen stoves, got trapped. Three died on the spot.

Police said two more victims succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Four of the six injured, were rushed to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital where their condition was stated to be critical. The remaining two were recuperating at sadar hospital in Samastipur.

The deceased were identified as Raj Kumari Devi (55), Lalo Paswan (55), Runa Devi (40), Shivji Paswan and Amit Kumar (15). Four of the badly injured have been identified as Mithilesh, Ramesh, Shankar and Nitish Kumar.

The state has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. Samastipur district magistrate Chandra Shekhar Singh said the district administration got the injured admitted to the hospital.