New Delhi:
They were busy at work at a construction site near Delhi's Safdarjung Flyover. It was nearly 1 am, but with Delhi terribly behind schedule for the Commonwealth Games, night shifts are not rare for labourers helping to get the capital ready.
Suddenly, a Honda City car crashed through the barricade of the construction site and knocked over eight labourers. Among them, Abhinandan, a fourteen-year-old boy. "I was wheeling my cart out when a car collided into it. Right after that, another car appeared and hit the workers who were a little ahead. The cars were speeding, we didn't get an opportunity to step aside."
The car that hit the labourers stalled. There were three young men inside, along with bottles of alcohol. The driver, allegedly a medical student, escaped. His friends have been arrested by the police. One of them is a 22-year-old events manager.
Three of the people hit died immediately, among them Abhinandan, while one died in the hospital. Another four who were injured are still in hospital.
Other workers at the same site are furious. They say that despite requests, the government has not provided them with jackets that have fluorescent material to ensure they can be seen at night by drivers.