Delhi: Teen dies in an accident as lack of signal inside tunnel delays SOS

According to the police, on Monday night, 19-year-old Rajan Rai, returning from Meerut met with an accident

A teenager who met with an accident inside Delhi’s Pragati Maidan tunnel died as people who tried to help couldn’t contact the hospital or police due lack of connectivity in the 1.3 km long tunnel.

The victim, identified as Rajan Rai, on Monday night, met with an accident while returning from Meerut. The 19-year-old tried to make an SOS call immediately after the accident but couldn’t reach anybody due to poor connectivity, India Today reported.

Passersby tried reaching the police and hospital but couldn’t do so either because of the connectivity issue inside the tunnel. This delayed emergency services.

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Rai had suffered serious head injuries as his helmet was completely damaged in the incident. He was then taken to Lady Hardinge Medical College, where he died during the treatment.
The victim’s family is planning for legal action as the emergency call couldn’t get through inside the tunnel due to lack of connectivity.

The tunnel that was inaugurated last year is part of the Pragati Maidan integrated Transit Corridor Project that includes five underpasses and a main tunnel. The tunnel is said to have high tech facilities for traffic management and is equipped with a fire management system and digitally controlled CCTVs.

A recent Bloomberg report has stated that road crashes are an epidemic in India. Citing World Bank data, the report says that accidents kill and disable over 9 lakh people every year. Lack of focus on infrastructural designs when it comes to roads is also one of the reasons that the number of accidents that occur in India is on an exponential rise.