16-yr-old helper buried under gravel while unloading truck in Gurugram, dies

Police booked the truck driver for negligence. They are also examining whether child labour provisions should be invoked against the contractor.

A 16-year-old boy died after allegedly being buried under several tonnes of gravel while unloading a truck at a stockyard in Sector 113 early Friday, police said.

16-yr-old helper buried under gravel while unloading truck in Gurugram, dies

The victim was from Nainital in Uttarakhand and lived with his family in Bajghera. Police said he worked as a helper for a contractor in Gurugram and had gone to Sector 113 in a Rajasthan-registered truck carrying sand and gravel for supply to construction sites.

Police said the incident took place between 12.40am and 1am when the truck reached the stockyard and the driver asked the victim to get down and open the rear tailgate for unloading. As soon as he opened the tailgate, part of the gravel reportedly fell on him, trapping his legs underneath.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said the victim repeatedly called for help, but the driver failed to hear him from inside the cabin and raised the truck’s hydraulic tipper, unloading the entire consignment and burying the minor under the gravel.

“Other workers raised alarm and alerted the police control room, following which emergency response vehicles reached the spot. Police fficers and workers managed to pull him out soon by removing the gravel,” Turan said.

Investigators said the body was handed over to the family after an autopsy and that the probe is underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the accident, after which further action will be taken against the driver based on the evidence.

Police said no action has been taken against the contractor under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, so far, adding that appropriate sections may be invoked after further investigation.