Jaipur, Apr 15: In a shocking case of public apathy, a man clutching on to his son lay on the road crying for help inside a tunnel next to the bodies of his wife and infant daughter with nobody stopping by for around 40 minutes after a speeding truck hit his motorcycle.
The 26-year-old woman and the eight-month-old infant who were run over by the truck died in the first accident inside the newly opened Ghat Ki Guni tunnel here yesterday while the man and his son escaped with minor injuries.
Police said the injured husband kept crying for help for around 40 minutes but the motorists ignored their cries and every vehicle passed by without stopping delaying prompt medical treatment.
The accident victims were attended to only when a staffer of a toll booth noticed the crying husband and his son inside the tunnel on a CCTV monitor.
"Kanhaiya Lal along with his 26-year old wife Guddi, four-year- old son Tanish and eight-month-old Arushi was on his way to in-laws' house in Luniawas village from their house in Thikariya village yesterday when a speeding truck hit their motorcycle 300 metres inside the tunnel," police said today.
Guddi and Arushi were run over by the truck while Kanhaiya and Tanish received minor injuries. After the accident, Kanhaiya called his relatives and police but there was no network coverage so he tried to stop vehicles for help only to be ignored.
No one stepped out for help as the man holding his son sat in the middle of the road while his wife and daughter lay in an unconscious state and without knowing their fate.
The 2.8 km tunnel bored through Jhalana hills was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President in January this year. Two-wheelers are banned inside the tunnel.
"A worker of toll tax booth noticed it on a CCTV monitor and informed police. The police help reached them within a few minutes and they were rushed to hospital. Soon after policemen, staffers of the toll tax also reached the spot," officiating police commissioner Biju George Joseph said.
The woman and her daughter were declared dead and the man and his son were given treatment and discharged.
Dr D S Meena, In-charge of SMS hospital's emergency unit, said that the two died before before being brought to the hospital.
"The situation might have been better if they were provided medical help in time," Meena said.
DCP Traffic Lata Manoj Kumar said that entry of two-wheelers to the tunnel is banned but despite that, the toll booth staffers do not prevent two-wheelers from passing through it.
"It is a negligence of the toll booth staffers who used to allow two-wheelers inside the tunnel. Now we have deployed 15 policemen on both the sides to control it," she said.
Prabhudayal, uncle of the deceased woman, said that but for people's apathy the livese of the two people could have been saved.
"Kanhaiya cried for help for 30-40 minutes but none stopped. It is shameful that apathy took two lives," he said.
The vehicle has been identified and will be seized soon, Kumar said.
"The driver will also be arrested," she added.
The entry of two-wheelers is banned inside the tunnel and they have to take Ghat Ki Guni route to reach NH-11, the Agra bypass, from Jaipur city.
Earlier, the Ghat ki Guni route was used by all vehicles for getting onto the highway from the city.
The route used to be accident prone and therefore the tunnel project was undertaken by the state government.
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