Probe ordered into death of 3 children near flyover site
PATNA: A probe has been ordered into the death of three children on Thursday, who lost their lives on Wednesday night after a slab fell on them at a construction site on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg under Shastrinagar police station. The slab was kept for construction of flyover alongside the Bailey Road.
Patna district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi said, “I have constituted a special team headed by the SDO and asked him to conduct a thorough enquiry into the incident and submit a report shortly. An unnatural death case is being registered with the concerned police station in this connection,” he said.
The incident took place when three children, aged 7-13 years old, were playing near the construction site. Suddenly, a concrete slab fell on them due to which they received severe injuries. Locals informed the local police station. Agitated people blocked the road and created a scene on the Bailey Road for about two hours. As JCB machine reached the spot, angry people pelted stones at the machine and assaulted its driver. They also damaged several vehicles and assaulted two passersby, police said.
During rescue operation with the help of a JCB, it was found that one child died on the spot. The two others died on the way to the Patna Medical College and hospital.
The police identified the deceased as Mohammad Ashad Sahil (12), Karan Kumar (8) and Kishu Kumar (7), all residents of a slum area at Punaichak locality under Shastrinagar police station, the police said.
Soon after the incident, Patna DM Kumar Ravi and other senior officials along with reinforcement rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next kin of each of the deceased.
After few hours of the incident, at the directive of the CM, the Patna district administration also paid Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.