Minor boy dies after garbage truck hits scooter; irate public sets truck on fire

Tragic accident involving a garbage truck killing an eight-year-old boy, sparking public outrage and calls for relocation of dump yard.

An eight-year-old boy was killed while his father escaped narrowly with minor injuries when a garbage truck knocked down the scooter they were travelling on near Thanisandra railway track on Saturday.

The deceased, Iman, was riding pillion with his father, Abdul Khadar, to enquire about admission to a madrasa. The truck knocked down the scooter, Iman lost balance, and came under the wheels of the vehicle, the police said.

Irate public pulled the driver out and thrashed him before setting fire to the garbage truck.

The driver was lying unconscious on the road and was later moved to a hospital where he is being treated in the ICU. The Hennur traffic police and the Fire and Emergency Services Department personnel reached the scene, and put out the fire.

Residents also vented their ire at the BBMP for the traffic congestion caused by vehicles that transport garbage. Autorickshaws dump the garbage, and trucks carry the segregated waste to the outskirts for disposal. People have been requesting the authorities to shift the garbage dump to a different place but in vain, they said.

“The garbage dump was located here at a time when this area was on the outskirts of the city. But now the place has become crowded and the volume of traffic also has increased. We have raised this issue at many public grievance meetings with the authorities. Even the traffic police have submitted a report to the authorities to shift the dump yard, but to no avail,” a police officer said.

The Hennur traffic police have registered a case of death due to rash and negligent driving against the driver and are waiting to question him.