Tragic Accident at Naini Construction Site Claims Lives of Labourer and His Three Children
BK Singh
Prayagraj: In a profoundly distressing incident that unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday, a 40-year-old daily wage laborer named Chotelal, along with his three young children, lost their lives after being run over by a truck inside the premises of an under-construction powerhouse in Naini, a locality in the Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh.
According to preliminary reports, the accident took place during the late hours of Tuesday night, when Chotelal and his children—14-year-old son Sagar, 13-year-old daughter Shabnam, and 10-year-old son Sangam—were asleep in a makeshift hut or shanty located within the boundary of the construction site where they had been working as labourers. The family had made this temporary shelter their home, like many other migrant and impoverished workers who find themselves with no choice but to live where they work due to a lack of affordable housing and long commutes.
Tragedy struck when a heavy truck loaded with sand, which was being transported for construction work, entered the premises. The vehicle, driven recklessly and with apparent disregard for human safety, veered off course and crashed directly into the shanty where the family was sleeping. The sheer force and weight of the truck crushed the flimsy structure, killing Chotelal and all three of his children on the spot.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the driver of the truck, identified as Santosh, attempted to escape the scene immediately after the horrific accident. However, in his haste and possibly due to the uneven and unstable terrain of the construction site, the vehicle got caught in a pit and eventually overturned. This failed escape attempt ultimately led to his capture.
Vikas Yadav, a security guard stationed at the powerhouse site during the night shift, witnessed the entire sequence of events. Displaying courage and presence of mind, Yadav rushed toward the vehicle, apprehended the driver, and immediately contacted the local police to report the incident. Thanks to his prompt intervention, the driver was prevented from fleeing and was soon taken into custody by law enforcement officials.
The bodies of Chotelal and his three children were later retrieved from the debris of the demolished shanty. The police, upon arrival, secured the area and arranged for the bodies to be sent for post-mortem examinations as part of the standard legal procedure. The incident has sent waves of shock and sorrow throughout the local community, especially among fellow labourers and workers at the construction site who had known the family.
It was also learned that Chotelal’s wife was not present at the time of the accident, as she had reportedly traveled to her parents’ home a few days earlier. Unaware of the impending disaster, she had left behind her husband and children, never imagining that such a heart-wrenching tragedy would strike in her absence. The devastating news has left her completely shattered as she returns to find her entire family gone.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety measures—or lack thereof—at construction sites, especially those employing vulnerable daily wage workers who often reside in hazardous conditions due to poverty and lack of infrastructure. There are also growing calls for a thorough investigation into how the truck was allowed to operate in such a reckless manner within a construction zone that included living quarters, however unofficial or temporary they may have been.
As the local administration begins its probe, many are urging authorities to enforce stricter regulations and ensure better protection for laborers who live and work under such precarious circumstances. The arrest of the driver, while a necessary step, is only part of what many believe should be a broader inquiry into the responsibilities of the construction company and site managers.
The community now mourns the loss of four innocent lives—one hardworking father and his three young children—whose dreams and futures were cruelly snuffed out in an avoidable accident caused by sheer negligence
