A Class-I student died when he fell off an overloaded auto-rickshaw while going to his school in the Digapahandi area of Ganjam district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Ajay Pradhan, a student of a private school.
According to reports, Ajay was travelling in the auto-rickshaw along with 15 other children. He was sitting on the extreme side in the auto-rickshaw and fell from the vehicle when he lost his balance near the school. He sustained severe injuries in his head. Locals rushed him to the Digapahandi Community Health Centre, where he was declared dead.
Following the incident, irate locals staged a road blockade disrupting vehicular communications on the Digapahandi-Chikiti road. They demanded stringent action against the auto-rickshaw driver and the school authorities for the fatal incident.
Later, police reached the spot and seized the auto-rickshaw and pacified the crowd.
As per traffic norms, a maximum of five children aged below 14 years can travel in an auto-rickshaw. But the rules are seldom followed.