Journey to school in an overcrowded autorickshaw proved fatal for a four-year-old boy at Digapahandi in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Wednesday. Police said Ajay Pradhan fell off the vehicle when the driver made a sudden turn near the Tilottama Nagar area in Digapahandi. The boy sustained serious injuries and died at a hospital.
Ajay was among the 10 children cramped into the vehicle to travel to school.
Angry locals blocked the road at Digapahandi from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. demanding strict measures to stop dangerous transportation of school students in overcrowded autorickshaws. They dispersed following an assurance from police and administrative officials.
The child, who sustained severe injuries, was rushed to the Digapahandi Community Health Centre where doctors could not save him.