Toddler on bike with grandfather falls on cratered Palghar road, dies

MUMBAI: An 18-month-old lost his life after falling off a bike on a cratered Boisar-Navapur Road in Palghar on Monday morning. His grandfather was riding the bike.
The accident occurred when the bike hit a pothole filled with rainwater, causing the toddler to fall off the vehicle. Boisar police have registered a case of accidental death. The toddler, Maher Mohsin, was seated in front of his grandfather, Ahmed, on the bike.As the vehicle encountered a water-filled pothole, the grandfather applied the brakes, resulting in the tragedy. The boy suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital.
Following the accident, angry locals blocked the road in protest. They demanded action against the contractors responsible for the poor condition of the road.
Palghar had experienced heavy rainfall in the early hours of Monday, and although the intensity of rain had decreased by daytime, the cratered roads remained filled with water, posing a significant risk to commuters.
Local residents expressed their frustration, stating the Boisar-Navapur Road leading to Tarapur MIDC has been plagued by potholes since the onset of monsoon.
They have demanded immediate road repair to prevent such tragedies.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway, undergoing concretisation, has been riddled with potholes too, with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) undertaking filling works.
It may be recalled in separate cases in Naigaon in Aug last year, two women riding pillion lost their lives after falling off bikes that hit water-filled potholes on the highway.