Sewage manhole claims lives of woman, six-month-old son in Punjab’s Moga city

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According to local residents, the spot has witnessed several accidents in the past and has become a “black spot”, but the problem has not been rectified. (AI generated image)A family from Moga district was left devastated on Sunday after an allegedly uneven sewage manhole on the Moga-Baghapurana road near Chungi No. 3 claimed the lives of a woman and her six-month-old son.The incident occurred on Saturday when Lakhvir Singh of Chand Nawan village was travelling on a two-wheeler with his wife Jyoti and their infant son, Manvir Singh. The two-wheeler reportedly hit the uneven sewage manhole and lost balance, causing the child to slip from his mother’s lap. Jyoti also fell onto the road.The infant suffered grievous head injuries and died on the spot. Jyoti succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital on Sunday, leaving the family shattered. Mother and son were cremated together on Sunday.According to local residents, the spot has witnessed several accidents in the past and has become a “black spot”, but the problem has not been rectified.Locals alleged that the manhole cover protrudes unevenly above the road surface, while the road around it has sunk over time, causing two-wheelers to lose balance and leading to accidents.Jyoti’s brother, Avtar Singh, said those responsible for constructing and maintaining such roads should be held accountable.“Our family has been finished. My sister got married just four years back. Everyone was so happy after she had a child. Our little Manvir is gone, my sister is gone. What was their fault?” said Avtar.Story continues below this ad“It is such a dangerous road that such accidents happen here often, yet no action is ever taken. The baby died on the spot after slipping from my sister’s hands. We tried our best to save my sister and took her to DMCH Ludhiana and PGIMER Chandigarh, but she also died. We have no words to describe the tragedy that has struck our family,” he said.:Moga deputy commissioner Sagar Setia said that a high-level fact-finding committee has been constituted to conduct a probe into the incident. The committee will be led by Moga Municipal Corporation Commissioner, and other members include XEN Public Works department, XEN water supply and sewage board and DSP Moga.Inspector Gurvinder Singh Bhullar, SHO, City South Police Station, Moga, said it was an unfortunate incident.“The family has not recorded its statement for registration of an FIR yet,” he said.