HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, AUGUST 8: The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has filed a suo motu case of inquiry into the unfortunate death of Mihir Lal Debnath, a truck driver who was left trapped and alive inside his turned-over truck for over seven hours before he died from injuries.
The accident, which took place in the wee hours of morning in the vicinity of Teliamura, has sparked anger over what the commission stated was “sheer criminal negligence, inaction, and incompetence” by multiple government agencies.
Related Posts:
As per the THRC, Debnath’s cement-truck overturned on the Assam-Agartala highway at about 2:30 AM. Although his leg was crushed and he was trapped in the cabin, he remained conscious and cried for help for hours, which would have saved him with prompt action. However, there was a string of failures by responding officials that doomed him.
The commission’s initial directive severely criticized the Disaster Management team for being woefully inadequate. The team, according to reports, showed up with two wood-cutting chainsaws that were not working and not suited for the rescue mission. Fire personnel, even though among the first to arrive, were only concerned with offloading cement from the vehicle. The THRC said they had no training, equipment, or even basic understanding of how to carry out a rescue in such a scenario.
Appallingly, no ambulance or medical assistance was sent to the location within the critical time frame when Debnath was alive. More concerning, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) trained for emergencies was never called in. An administrative officer was allegedly sent only after Debnath had passed away, making any action taken thereafter useless.
The THRC has also seriously noted the failure of systems and classified the incident as a violation of basic human rights. Notices have been served to the District Magistrate and Collector of Khowai, Superintendent of Police of Khowai District, and the Government of Tripura’s Fire and Emergency Services Department. All three have been ordered to file an exhaustive inquiry report in 15 days’ time. The commission will then examine the issue further after receiving their replies.
