Balrampur, June 20: A tragic road accident in Balrampur district’s Ramanujganj municipality claimed the life of a 7-year-old boy on Saturday afternoon. The child was struck by a water tanker dispatched by the municipality for water distribution, resulting in his immediate death at the scene.
The incident sparked outrage among family members and local residents, leading to a blockade on National Highway-343 for nearly three hours. The protest ended after intervention from administrative officials and local representatives.
According to reports, the water tanker arrived in the Sweeper Mohalla area of Ward No. 5 around 1:30 PM. While playing, Shubham (7 years) was hit by the tanker. The severity of the accident was such that the boy died on the spot.
Upon receiving news of the incident, administrative and police officials rushed to the scene. The Chief Municipal Officer (CMO), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Tehsildar, and other representatives attempted to calm the grieving family. However, initial discussions failed to alleviate their anger.
Around 4 PM, the family brought the boy’s body to Chandni Chowk and then to Rangila Chowk, where they laid the body on the road, blocking National Highway-343. This led to long queues of vehicles traveling between Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, severely affecting the movement of heavy vehicles and trucks from the ring road.
The blockade lasted for approximately three hours, causing significant distress to passengers and drivers due to the heat and traffic congestion. Continuous negotiations by the administration eventually led to the lifting of the blockade in the evening.
Anandram Netam, the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) of Ramanujganj, expressed his condolences, stating that it was a deeply saddening incident and that the government stands with the affected family. The family requested a regular job for one of its members, and the process to send a proposal to the government has begun.
The SDM mentioned that while the decision regarding regular employment will be made at the government level, an agreement has been reached to provide employment through placement for a family member as immediate relief. After the blockade was lifted, the police took custody of the body and placed it in the mortuary of the 100-bed hospital in Ramanujganj. Due to the late hour, the post-mortem could not be conducted on Saturday and will take place on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ramanujganj police have initiated an investigation into the entire incident.
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