Four people, including an elderly woman and three children, were killed after being buried under a mud mound while digging soil along the Hardi riverbank in ward 1 of Haripurwa Municipality, Sarlahi, on Wednesday morning.

The deceased have been identified as 65-year-old Sayada Khatun, six-year-old Sabiba Khatun, eight-year-old Dillu Mansur, and nine-year-old Nargis Khatun, all residents of Magarthana in ward 6 of Sonma Rural Municipality, Mahottari.

The incident occurred at around 9:20am when local women and children were collecting soil with sickles and a mound suddenly collapsed, police said.

A police team led by a Sub-Inspector from the Haripurwa Area Police Office reached the site and rescued the victims, who were then taken to the Provincial Hospital in Malangawa. The hospital declared them dead on arrival, according to the District Police Office, Sarlahi.

Police said further investigation into the incident is underway.