Four people were killed and two injured when a dumper rammed into a stationary crane and an auto-rickshaw carrying workers installing CCTV cameras for Delhi traffic police in Sarita Vihar, southeast Delhi, police said. The crash took place at about 3.20 am on Sunday while the workers were carrying out the installation work.
The dumper, a medium-sized vehicle bearing a Haryana registration number, was travelling from Noida towards Delhi when it collided with the crane parked on the roadside, according to police. The crane was being used by workers installing cameras for traffic surveillance infrastructure. An auto-rickshaw carrying some of the workers was parked nearby when the dumper struck it after the initial collision.
Police said several workers suffered critical injuries in the crash. They were taken to hospital, where four were declared dead during treatment. The deceased were identified as Umesh, 23, Praveen, 35, Anoop, 26, and Suraj, 34. Umesh, Praveen and Anoop were residents of Sangam Vihar, while Suraj lived in Munirka.
Suraj worked as an HR manager with a technology company. Praveen and Anoop were labourers associated with the same company, which was involved in installing the CCTV cameras. Police said Umesh was not employed with the company.
The injured were identified as Akash alias Tushar, 20, a resident of Sangam Vihar, and Khem Singh, 40, a resident of Rohini. Both were undergoing treatment. Another worker, Sudhir, also from Sangam Vihar, escaped without injury.
The crash has affected a family in which three of those involved were cousins. Praveen, Anoop and Akash were cousins, according to their relatives. Praveen’s father, Ramdas, said Praveen was the sole earning member of his family and had two children, aged about one year and two-and-a-half years.
A family member, Brajesh Kumar, alleged that the workers had not been provided adequate safety equipment while working at night. He also alleged that the company had not taken responsibility for the incident. The allegations have not been established by police, who are examining the circumstances of the crash and have not fixed responsibility on the company.
The dumper driver fled the scene after the collision but was later apprehended, police said. The vehicle was seized, and investigators examined the accident site and the vehicles involved. They are checking CCTV footage, the dumper’s speed and route, the positions of the crane and auto-rickshaw, and the safety arrangements at the worksite.
The investigation will determine how the dumper entered the work area, whether the parked vehicles were positioned safely and whether any worksite or vehicle-related lapse contributed to the deaths. Police have not yet announced a final finding on responsibility or any confirmed violation by the company.
