AHMEDABAD: In a chilling reminder of the perils faced by children of construction workers, a three-month-old baby — Khushi Damor — lost her life in a freak accident in Nadiad on Monday evening. The baby, sleeping peacefully on a footpath near a construction site, was crushed by a spare wheel that fell off a passing truck and rolled onto her.
The tragedy has once again brought to light the dire need for enforcing creche facilities at construction sites.
Khushi’s parents were repairing a pavement nearby when the tragedy struck. According to her uncle, Jogi Damor, the truck’s rear latch was faulty, causing the spare wheel to detach and roll onto the footpath. Despite desperate attempts by the child’s mother and other workers to stop it, the wheel struck the infant.
“We stopped the truck and noted its registration number. One of my relatives rushed the girl to Nadiad Civil Hospital on a motorcycle, but the doctor declared her dead,” Jogi said. He revealed that the girl’s parents, aged 20 and 19, had worked as labourers for almost a decade
The incident has highlighted a glaring oversight in safety regulations. The absence of creche facilities at the construction site, mandated under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, is being seen as a major factor in the tragedy. This law requires employers to provide safe spaces, toys, bedding, and caretakers for children below six, but enforcement remains dismal.
When asked who he blamed for the accident, he said, “If creche facilities were available, the death could have been avoided.”
The incident has highlighted a glaring oversight in safety regulations. The absence of creche facilities at the construction site, mandated under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, is being seen as a major factor in the tragedy. This law requires employers to provide safe spaces, toys, bedding and caretakers for children below six, but enforcement remains dismal.
“The girl weighed just 2.5kg at the time of her death, reflecting the malnourished condition of her mother, who worked long hours for daily wages of Rs 300-400,” Jogi said. The bereaved family has since left for their hometown in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, for Khushi’s last rites.
The Nadiad town police have registered an FIR under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death by negligence and initiated an investigation. As of now, no compensation has been provided to the grieving family.
