Patna: Two people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed in a road accident on the Kachchi Dargah-Bidupur six-lane bridge in Patna on Sunday night, prompting local residents to block the highway in protest.
The victims have been identified as Basant Yadav, a resident of Khaspur in the Didarganj area, and his son. According to police, the pair were travelling on a motorcycle with another man, Mani Lal Yadav, en route to Kachchi Dargah to seek medical treatment for the child, when their bike was struck by a speeding car coming from the Diara side. The collision dragged all three passengers a considerable distance.
Mani Lal Yadav and the six-year-old boy died at the scene. Basant Yadav sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Locals, enraged by the accident, set fire to the road, blocked the national highway, and vandalised the vehicle involved. Posters of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) were found inside the car, and residents claimed that alcohol and drugs may have been involved. Villagers demanded compensation for the victims.
Police from Nadi and Didarganj stations, along with the Fatuha DSP and other officials, arrived at the scene and, with the help of local representatives, cleared the blockade and calmed the crowd.
The occupants of the car fled the scene, and police have seized the vehicle. The bodies of the deceased were sent to Patna NMC for postmortem, and investigations are ongoing. The incident has cast a pall of mourning over the local community.
