A six-year old boy was killed while four others, including his father were seriously injured when a oil tanker rammed into an auto rickshaw at Deviyana More of Nirsa on national highway 2 about 40 km from Dhanbad district headquarters this morning.

The accident took place at around 10.30 am when the auto rickshaw with nine passengers was heading from Malidih in Nirsa to Chirkunda.

Local resident’s and eyewitnesses who reached the site informed police that the accident took place when the speeding oil tanker tried to overtake the auto rickshaw but instead hit the auto rickshaw from behind due to which six year old, Lal Chand Hansda a resident of Ramkanali village died on the spot while his father Mangal Hansda and three others were seriously injured.

A team of Nirsa police led by officer in charge, Jitendra Kumar which reached at the site after getting information admitted the injured persons to Nirsa community health centre sent the dead body of deceased boy, Lal Chand Hansda for post mortem at Sahid Nirmal Mahto Memorial Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) at Dhanbad.

The driver of the oil tanker fled away from the site while police seized the oil tanker a few yards away from the accident site.

Two of the three seriously injured persons included ladies of Ghorabandha area who were heading towards Nirsa market to carry out garment purchase. Four other persons on board the auto rickshaw received minor injuries in the accident.

Officer in Charge of Nirsa Police station, Jitendra Kumar who supervised the rescue operation said, “We have sent the body of the deceased boy for postmortem at SNMMCH and simultaneously initiated process to identify the oil tanker owner and it’s driver to initiate action against them and raids are being conducted to arrest the accussed driver.”

Meanwhile, the family members of other injured persons charged delay in initiating treatment at the local hospital of Nirsa and demanding the shifting of all injured persons to SNMMCH.