08 October,2024 07:06 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
Hamid Sheikh (L) and the crowd gathered to protest. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
Local residents staged a roadblock on the Mankhurd-Ghatkopar route in Mumbai after a nine-year-old boy was killed in an accident involving speeding garbage dumper in the Shivaji Nagar area of Govandi, the officials said.
The locals protested against the alleged reckless driving of dumpers in the area.
The incident took place around 11 am when the boy, identified as Hamid Sheikh, was crossing the road on his way to a nearby public toilet, the police said.
Hamid Sheikh, a resident of Bainganwadi in Govandi, had returned home from a madrasa and informed his mother that he needed to use the restroom. While crossing the road near the dumping ground, he was struck by a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) dumper returning from offloading garbage, the officials said.
Hamid sustained critical injuries and died on the spot.
The accident led to widespread anger in the local community. Furious over the incident, local residents staged a roadblock on the Mankhurd-Ghatkopar route, protesting the reckless driving of dumpers in the area.
Some protesters also damaged the dumper involved in the accident, sources said.
The protest brought traffic to a standstill for several hours, demanding immediate action against the driver and stricter enforcement of road safety measures.
Police from Shivaji Nagar station arrived at the scene promptly, dispersing the crowd and restoring order.
The dumper driver was arrested, and the vehicle was seized. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.
Local residents have expressed ongoing concerns about the safety risks posed by speeding dumpers near residential areas. They have called for stricter regulations and heightened monitoring of garbage trucks operating in the vicinity of the dumping ground.
