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Four persons sleeping on a road divider were killed and two were injured when a speeding truck ran over them in Delhi’s Shahdara in the early hours of Wednesday. The men worked as ragpickers and lived in one-room sets, but would often sleep on the divider nearby because of the lack of space and the heat indoors.
The truck driver fled afterwards and is yet to be arrested. A PCR call about the accident was made at 1.51 am from the DTC depot in New Seemapuri area. CCTV footage of the incident shows the truck driving towards the divider and mowing down the men before knocking down a streetlight.
On Wednesday afternoon, locals recalled the “horrifying” incident. They said they heard a loud noise when the poll fell on the road, and found the six men lying bloodied.
The deceased were identified as Karee (52), Chotte Khan (25), Shah Alam (38), and Rahul (45). Manish (16) and Pradeep (30), are undergoing treatment.
Alia Bibi, one of the witnesses, saw Alam crushed under the pole. “It sounded like a blast. They were all badly injured. Alam was trapped and we had to take bedsheets and other clothes to wrap him and take his body out. Manish was scared the truck driver would come back and hit them. He was found hiding behind garbage bags. Thankfully, the PCR vans were near and police immediately called for help and shifted the men to the hospital.”
R Sathiyasundaram, DCP (Shahdara), said, “The driver was driving rashly and negligently when he hit six persons.”
Manish, who lives in Shalimar Garden, said, “I was asleep. We think the driver was drunk. He was speeding and ran over us. Luckily, I was sleeping closest to the truck and sustained injuries on my hand and back. Others were crushed under the vehicle. The driver looked outside the window but didn’t stop.”
At the GTB hospital mortuary, families of the men were inconsolable. The deceased were sole breadwinners and would sleep on the divider because of the cramped conditions at home.
Alam is survived by his wife Hafeeza and four daughters. She said, “He has left us with a lot of responsibility. Two of our daughters recently got married; I am worried about the other two. We don’t have jobs, how will we survive? I last saw Alam at 10 pm. He left home after dinner to be with his friends. We didn’t know it was the last time we would see him.”
Kareem is survived by his wife and six children. His family said they were shocked when they saw the bodies. “For a minute, I was confused… we couldn’t recognise their faces. My mother identified him with his clothes. I was sleeping when I heard people screaming. I went outside and found the bodies lying on the road,” said Haider, Kareem’s eldest son. The family said they want to donate Kareem’s eyes to help his younger son Tazeeb, who is visually impaired. “Maybe our father’s eyes will help Tazeeb see again. Doctors asked us to fill a form and get Tazeeb examined at the hospital,” added Haider.
Chotte’s family said he and his friends, at least 10-12 men, would sleep around the bus depot. “He was an introvert. He got married 3-4 years back but his wife left him and he decided to move in with our mother. We are five siblings and there’s no space for everyone to sleep. It also gets humid inside,” said Mumtiyaz Khan, Chotte’s brother.
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