VISAKHAPATNAM: A 10-year-old boy died after a private bus ran over him at Ukkunagaram on Tuesday. The incident sparked protests in the area with a number of people, including steel plant employees, vandalising the bus and demanding strict action against the driver.
The deceased was identified as P Severin. According to police, the accident took place when the boy’s mother, Sowjanya, was taking him to school on her two-wheeler at Belacheruvu Road in Steel Plant Township, Sector-8.
Her bike skidded off as she applied sudden brakes on seeing a car coming from the opposite direction. The minor fell on the left side of the bike, while the mother fell on the right.At the same time a private bus ran over the boy’s head, resulting in his immediate death.
Family members said the boy, along with his mother, had moved to Vizag from the US before the outbreak of the pandemic and was staying with his grandparents. Deputy and Assistant Commissioners of Police Anand Reddy and Trinadha Rao rushed to the spot on receiving the information.A case was registered and investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, corporator B Ganga Rao demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation for the boy’s family and urged the steel plant management to arrange security in the township. The steel plant management decided to regulate movement of heavy vehicles during school and office timings in the route between Kurmannapalem and Desapatrunipalem check posts.
In a letter to the South zone ACP, RINL general manager Y Chandrasekhar assured that they will deploy home guards to prevent accidents in the region. He also urged the ACP to appoint cops to regulate traffic in school zones.