Tragic Accident in Ghaziabad Claims Lives of Two Cousins
In a devastating incident that occurred in the early hours of Monday, two young cousins lost their lives when a fodder-laden tractor-trolley overturned and fell into a drain adjacent to the Modinagar-Hapur road in Bhojpur, Ghaziabad. The victims, identified as Hasim (22) and Akib (20), both labourers from Bagpat, were tragically crushed as they slept on the vehicle during transportation.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The accident took place around 1 am on Monday near Nahali, according to ACP Modinagar Amit Saxena. Preliminary police investigation has revealed several critical factors that contributed to this tragedy. The tractor-trolley was significantly overloaded with fodder, which the cousins were transporting to a relative's place. Compounding this violation was the damaged condition of the road and the absence of any protective boundary along the drain.
Police officials explained that when the trolley's wheel hit a pothole on the damaged road surface, the overloaded vehicle lost balance completely. This caused both the tractor and trolley to overturn into the adjacent drain, trapping the sleeping cousins beneath the heavy heap of fodder for approximately an hour before rescue efforts could reach them.
Rescue Operation and Investigation
The police response was initiated after a passerby alerted authorities about the accident. Law enforcement personnel arrived at the scene with an ambulance, where they worked to extract the bodies of Hasim and Akib from beneath the fodder. The victims were subsequently transported to a hospital where post-mortem examinations were conducted, with official reports still awaited.
While the tractor driver, identified as Ubaid, and his aide Irfan sustained only minor injuries in the accident, they reportedly fled the scene immediately afterward, according to police statements. This has complicated the investigation, though authorities are actively reviewing footage from nearby CCTV cameras to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the fatal accident.
Police Response and Legal Proceedings
A senior police officer emphasized that multiple safety violations contributed to this preventable tragedy. The vehicle was overloaded, the road was in poor condition, and there was no protective boundary along the drain - all factors that created a dangerous situation on that stretch of the Modinagar-Hapur road.
Interestingly, ACP Amit Saxena noted that no formal complaint has been filed yet by the family members of the deceased cousins. Police officials have stated they will take appropriate legal action once they receive an official complaint regarding the incident. In the meantime, the investigation continues as authorities piece together the complete circumstances surrounding this fatal accident.
Broader Implications for Road Safety
This tragic incident highlights several persistent issues in transportation safety, particularly concerning:
- Vehicle overloading regulations and enforcement
- Road maintenance and infrastructure safety
- Protective measures along vulnerable road sections
- Night-time transportation safety protocols
The deaths of these two young labourers serve as a sobering reminder of the human cost when multiple safety violations converge. As the investigation progresses, authorities hope to establish clearer accountability while implementing measures to prevent similar tragedies on Ghaziabad's roads in the future.
