ANANTAPUR : A seven-year-old boy died after a section of the roof collapsed on him on Friday morning at Guntakal railway station in Anantapur district.
The victim, Manikanta, had arrived at the station with his father, Venkateshwarlu from Kurnool city, and other family members to travel to Rameswaram.
The family was resting in the open waiting hall on platform 7 when bricks from the roof suddenly fell, striking the sleeping boy on the head, resulting in critical injuries.
According to witnesses, the parents, shocked and disoriented, wandered the platform before seeking help. A canteen worker, Riyaz Bhasha, said “I told them to sleep in the waiting room, but they went near the pillar instead. After the bricks fell, I saw them panicking and took the boy to the railway hospital.”
Due to the lack of adequate facilities at the Guntakal railway hospital, doctors provided only first aid and referred the boy to government hospital. Due to the severity of his condition, he was again transferred to Saveera Hospital in Anantapur, where he died while undergoing treatment.
Dr Srinivasa Yadav of Guntakal Government Hospital said, “The boy was brought in a critical condition. His brain was severely damaged and a bone was exposed. We gave him basic treatment and referred him to Anantapur due to lack of facilities here.” Guntakal Railway Circle Inspector (CI) K Ajay Kumar registered a case based on father’s complaint.