Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a shocking incident, an earthmover of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) claimed the life of a five-year-old boy while his elder sister escaped unhurt under Hira Nagar police station's jurisdiction on Monday. The earthmover's driver handed over its controls to an amateur driver, resulting in the machine's arm smashing the boyís face while working on an under-construction road in Lahiya Colony.
According to the police, the deceased was identified as Shivansh, son of Rakesh Kabre, a resident of Lahiya Colony. The boy died on the spot while his eight-year-old sister, who was with him at the time of the incident, escaped unhurt. The driver fled the scene but the police seized the earthmover and registered a case against both the contractor and the driver.
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CCTV footage from the scene clearly shows the boy and his sister buying something from a grocery shop while the earthmover worked on the road behind them. The driver lost control of the lever and its arm smashed the boy's face, causing severe injuries. The boy's family staged a 'Chakka Jam' on the main road near Brilliant Convention Centre after the incident, demanding strict action against the driver.
The deceased's father Rakesh said that Shivansh had gone to buy chocolate from a nearby shop with his sister around 1:30 pm where the earthmover was working to level the road with ballast. As the road was unbuilt and due to waterlogging problems in the colony's road during rain, the local corporator had begun construction work two days prior to the incident to fill and level the road. While levelling the surface, the earthmover's arm smashed Shivansh's face, causing severe injuries. He was taken to a nearby private hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Kin stage 'chakka jam', demanding strict action
The boyís family and other residents gathered on the main road near Brilliant Convention Centre and staged a 'Chakka Jam' for several hours, demanding strict action against the driver. Several vehicles, including trucks, were stuck in traffic, creating a long queue. Senior police officials, including ACP Hira Nagar DS Yewale and ACP Vijay Nagar Krishna Lalchandani, reached the spot with police force to clear the way. They pacified the agitated crowd and assured them that action would be taken against those responsible after investigation.
Driver handed over earthmover to amateur operator
Locals reported that the IMC's earthmover driver got down from the vehicle a few minutes before the incident and handed over the controls to an amateur driver, which caused the accident. CCTV footage also showed the driver getting down and another person taking over the controls, after which the incident occurred. The previous driver was instructing the newbie on where to level the ballast, which was very close to where the boy was standing.
Mayor announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav expressed condolences to the family of the deceased Shivansh Kabre and announced immediate assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the deceased.
