A 13-year-old boy was killed when a sharp angle iron pierced his neck after an e-rickshaw carrying construction material overturned on a potholed road in Lucknow's Chinhat on Thursday late evening, the police said on Friday.
The boy, Elman Ali, also known as Shanu, a resident of Sarai Sheikh on Satrikh Road, was getting his bicycle repaired at a roadside shop when the incident occurred.
According to police, the e-rickshaw, carrying construction material on its roof, got stuck in a pothole on Satrikh Road and overturned.
The angle irons loaded on the vehicle fell, with one piercing the boy’s neck.
Local residents pulled the boy out from under the overturned vehicle and rushed him to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Dinesh Chandra Mishra, the Chinhat station house officer, said the e-rickshaw driver was arrested and sent to jail. An FIR was registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), he said.
Shanu was the eldest of three brothers and two sisters. His father, Anwar Ahmed, makes earthenware to support the family. His death left the family devastated; his mother Suraiya reportedly fainted after learning about the incident.
Residents said the Satrikh Road stretch had been constructed about six months ago but had developed potholes in several places. They alleged that waterlogging during rain makes the potholes difficult to spot, increasing the risk of vehicles losing control.
The incident has also highlighted the growing practice of using passenger e-rickshaws to transport goods. Though e-rickshaws are primarily permitted for carrying passengers, such vehicles are frequently seen carrying construction material and other heavy loads across Lucknow.
Alok Yadav, ARTO, Enforcement, Lucknow, said enforcement teams were checking for such violations. “Strict checks are being carried out against e-rickshaws used for transporting goods. Vehicles found violating the rules will be impounded,” he said.
