SUV Hits Auto, Toddler Among Three Killed

A devastating head-on collision between a speeding SUV and an auto-rickshaw claimed the lives of three people, including a two-and-a-half-year-old child, in Jharkhand’s Gumla district on Tuesday evening. The tragic incident occurred on the Mahuadanr-Jairagi Main Road at Anwaratol Garden, leaving the local community in shock.

According to Dumri Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anuj Kumar, the auto-rickshaw, carrying passengers returning from Jairagi Market, was struck by an SUV traveling from Latehar. The force of the crash caused the auto-rickshaw to overturn, instantly killing two elderly passengers, Hundru Nagesia (65) from Chirotoli in Dumri and Bittu Turi (56) from Mahuadanr in Latehar. A toddler, Anish Bara, son of Peter Bara from Chirotoli, suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to the Dumri Community Health Centre. Doctors referred him to Sadar Hospital in Gumla for advanced treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries en route.

Three other passengers in the auto-rickshaw sustained minor injuries and were treated and released from the Dumri Community Health Centre. “We have sent the bodies for post-mortem at Sadar Hospital and are reviewing CCTV footage to trace the SUV,” Kumar told PTI. He added that the police are working to secure compensation for the victims’ families under hit-and-run provisions.

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The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who are demanding stricter enforcement of traffic regulations on the busy Mahuadanr-Jairagi road, known for its high traffic and occasional accidents. Authorities are intensifying efforts to locate the SUV driver, who fled the scene, as the community mourns the loss of lives, particularly the young child. This tragedy underscores the urgent need for improved road safety measures in rural Jharkhand to prevent such heartbreaking incidents in the future.

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