Gondia Villagers Block Road After Woman Killed by Sand Truck

Following a fatal accident involving a truck carrying illegally excavated sand, Gondia villagers are protesting against illegal sand mining and demanding stricter regulations to prevent future tragedies.

Villagers staged a road blockade and demanded action against vehicles carrying illegally excavated sand after a woman was run over by a truck and lost her life in Gondia district, police said.

Rameshwari Dhanlal Nagpure (40), resident of Katangikala, was riding pillion with her daughter to attend a funeral at Arambha village in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh when a recklessly driven tipper truck carrying sand hit their scooter on Friday morning, said an official.

Nagpure fell down and came under the truck's tyre while her daughter, who fell on the other side, also sustained injuries. The elderly woman died on the spot, the official said.

Angry villagers beat up the driver and staged a blockade on Gondia-Dasgaon Road, demanding action against trucks carrying illegally excavated sand.

Concerns Over Illegal Sand Mining

Illegal sand mining is rampant at Tedwa, Kinhi and Dangorli, locals said.

Moreover, trucks laden with sand are driven by untrained drivers in a very rash manner, posing threat to people's lives, they said.

Authorities Respond to Protests

A police team led by inspector Vaibhav Pawar of Rawanvadi police station tried to pacify the villagers, who relented only in the afternoon after officials promised to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased's family immediately and to take action to prevent such incidents.