Representative image of a dead body.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mumbai: In a heart-wrenching incident, four minor boys were killed and two injured when a speeding truck knocked them down in Gadchiroli district on Thursday.
As per preliminary information, the six minors, in the age group of 12 to 16 years, were sitting on a roadside after morning walking exercise in the Katli village along the Armori-Gadchiroli Highway, located 12 km from the district headquarters, when the truck hit them.
The incident took place around 0500 to 0600 hrs, reports reaching here said.
Two of the youths - Pinku Namdev Bhoyar and Tanmay Balaji Mankar died on the spot, while two others - Dishant Duryadhan Meshram and Tushar Rajendra Marbate - succumbed to their injuries during treatment at the district general hospital.
The remaining two - Kshitij Tulnidas Meshram and Aditya Dhananjay Kohapte - are in critical condition and have been airlifted to Nagpur for further treatment.
The incident has sparked massive outrage among locals. In protest, residents reportedly blocked the highway, leading to a major traffic jam on the Armori-Gadchiroli route.
Large crowds from nearby villages including Katli, Sakhra and Porla gathered at the accident site after the incident.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed shock over the incident.
“Extremely pained by the unfortunate, tragic accident on the Armori - Gadchiroli highway in Gadchiroli district where 4 youth lost their life. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We stand with them in this tough moment of grief and loss,” said Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister and Gadchiroli district’s Guardian Minister.
An ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased, and the State Government will bear all the expenses towards the medical treatment for the injured.
“This incident is extremely heartbreaking. My condolences are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this incident. Heartfelt tributes,” said NCP (SP) Working President and Baramati MP Supriya Sule.