Four labourers repairing KMP expressway lane killed after truck mows them down

The deceased have been identified as Monu, Neeraj, Sushil and Kanti Swarup, all in their early 20s and hailing from UP’s Kanpur. According to police, the incident took place around 5.20 am.

Waseem Akram, SP Jhajjar, said the labourers were employed to repair a lane of the highway: “A total of 18 labourers were working on the stretch on Wednesday. They completed work around 8 pm and slept in a makeshift shelter covering half the lane. They had put up some jersey barriers and reflector tape around the area, but no signages had been placed. Around 5.20 am on Thursday, the truck rammed into the barriers and hit them head-on. It then hit a divider and turned on its side.”

Police said three labourers were killed on the spot. Ten among the injured were rushed to PGI Rohtak for treatment. One of them, Neeraj, succumbed to injuries later in the afternoon.

“We have registered an FIR against the truck driver, who is yet to be arrested. We will also take action against the concessionaire and contractor for negligence in not providing temporary shelter to the workers,” said the SP.

Police said the truck was carrying coal dust from Gujarat to UP via Haryana and Rajasthan. Eyewitnesses said the vehicle lost control before it rammed into the group.

At the accident spot, freshly made chapattis were seen lying near tires splattered with blood.

The victims had begun work at the Expressway on May 2 and were being paid Rs 350 per day. They had earlier completed work on a stretch of the expressway 4 km away. The group hails from Kanpur and Farrukhabad and often travelled together for work. They were due to begin work in Vishakapatnam soon.

Most of the victims were the sole breadwinners of their families. Sushil had gotten married two years ago and is survived by his one-year-old son and daughter. The other victims were unmarried.

One of the survivors, Pintu (20), had stepped aside to drink water when he saw the vehicle coming towards them. “The vehicle, after hitting people, slammed into the divider and overturned. Some of our friends were crushed under it. We could do nothing to save them,” he said.

Another survivor, Seetu, was lying on the side of the road to take a break for a few moments. Shocked and dazed, he said that the truck went over him but he escaped with a few scratches. “I can never forget it. I could see the entire axle of the truck as it went over me. I thought I was dead because I was sure I wouldn’t make it. I got a second life,” he said.