8-year-old buried alive

CUTTACK: AN eight-year-old boy died after a sand-laden trolley overturned and fell on him near Jobra Fish Market under Malgodown police limits on Friday. The boy has been identified as Priyansu Naik alias Lucky of Prem Nagar slum.According to sources, the mishap occurred when the tractor was unloading sand near the ongoing JAICA project in the area. “The sand laden trolley of the tractor fell on Lucky who was playing nearby along with his friend,” said Pramod Behera, an eyewitness. Though his friends escaped narrowly, Lucky was crushed to death and died on the spot. Later locals retrieved the body which was trapped under the heap of sand, eyewitness said.

After the incident, tension ran high in the locality following which irate locals staged a road blockade by burning tyres on Jobra road. They also gheraoed Malgodown police station demanding `5 lakh compensation and arrest of the driver.The road blockade was withdrawn and agitators at the police station were pacified after Police provided financial assistance of `10,000 from Red Cross fund and ACP Trinath Mishra assured to arrest the accused tractor driver as soon as possible.

This is not the first time that such an incident took place under JAICA project. On November 19, 2016 a 13-year-old boy Purna Chandra Nayak was crushed to death after sand-laden truck overturned and fell on him.Meanwhile, citizens have urged the administration to check the menace.