MANGALURU: An 18-month-old child died after he was thrown out of a two-wheeler after it hit a huge pothole at Manipal near here around 6.30pm on Monday.
The deceased, Chirag, was seated on his mother Pramoda’s lap while his father Umesh Poojary was riding the vehicle. The family was on their way to Hiriyadka from Manipal. Chirag fell from the bike when it hit a huge pothole and died on the spot. Chirag had suffered severe head injuries while his parents escaped with minor injuries. The couple has been admitted to a private hospital in Manipal.
The accident triggered protests from angry residents of the area who blamed the authorities for the sorry state of the road. Though the road is a part of a national highway, it is too narrow and is dotted with numerous potholes.
Though the road was upgraded into a national highway a few years ago, the widening works are yet to begin.Ravikanth, a shopkeeper in the area, said, “Many organisations staged protests, demanding that the road be repaired. But the authorities concerned always come up with some excuse or the other.”