Digboi: In a heart-wrenching incident, a young boy engaged as a helper of a grader was crushed to death by the very machine he was assisting, at the Assam Mala road project site in Tinsukia district on Friday afternoon.
The deceased, identified as Dibrujan Mahanta of Selenguri village under Kakopather police station, was run over around 4 p.m. at Kailashpur point under Bordumsa police station, where construction is underway on the 28.4-km Dirok–Philobari–Chikorajan–Mohong stretch.
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A grader—a heavy road-construction vehicle fitted with a long blade used to level and flatten surfaces—was the machine involved in the mishap. Mahanta, who was working as its helper, was accidentally overrun while on duty.
He was immediately rushed to the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh, for treatment.
However, despite efforts by doctors, he breathed his last late on Friday evening.
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The tragedy has sparked outrage among locals, who blamed the accident on the gross negligence of the contractor and the delays that have plagued the project. Critics argue that the mishap exposes the feeble safety measures for labourers and daily wage workers engaged in hazardous tasks.
Condemnations have poured in, with many describing the incident as a careless and irresponsible act on the part of the driver, who shockingly ran over his own helper.
The incident has once again raised urgent questions about labour safety, contractor accountability, and monitoring of infrastructure projects under the Assam Mala scheme.