Giridih (Jharkhand), June 9 (IANS) A woman and her two-year-old grandson died in a tragic road accident in Jharkhand’s Giridih district on Monday, officials said. The accident sparked public outrage and a road blockade that lasted for hours.

The incident occurred in the Tisri police station area, where Kaushalya Devi, a resident of Gumgi village, and her grandson Riyansh were crushed by a speeding tractor.

According to eyewitnesses, Kaushalya Devi was returning home after visiting a local doctor for her grandson’s treatment when the tractor, reportedly out of control, veered off the road, hit an electric pole, and overturned, landing on the two victims.

Locals rushed to the scene and managed to pull the woman and child from beneath the vehicle, but both had already succumbed to their injuries. The tractor driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.

As news of the incident spread, a large number of villagers gathered and blocked the Gaonwa-Tisri main road in protest, demanding immediate action. The blockade, which lasted for nearly three hours, brought traffic to a halt, with long queues of vehicles stretching in both directions.

Protesters demanded the arrest of the absconding tractor driver and compensation for the bereaved family. Many alleged that drivers of tractors and commercial vehicles often operate without valid driving licenses, contributing to frequent accidents.

When police personnel from Tisri police station arrived to take possession of the bodies and clear the scene, they were initially stopped by the angry crowd. It was only after senior administrative officials arrived and assured appropriate action and compensation that the blockade was lifted.

This accident follows a similar tragedy on Sunday in Latehar district’s Netarhat area, where a speeding pickup van fatally ran over two women standing on the roadside. That incident too led to a three-hour blockade on the Netarhat – Mahuadanr road by agitated residents.

–IANS

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