Ramgarh, Jan 8 (NationPress) - In a devastating incident, four individuals, including three schoolchildren, have lost their lives, and eight more have sustained injuries in a severe road collision near Tirla Chowk in the Gola police station area of Jharkhand's Ramgarh district on Wednesday morning.

The mishap transpired when a truck loaded with potatoes overturned and landed on an auto-rickshaw that was transporting students from the Goodwill Mission School.

The children, aged between five and eight years, were tragically trapped beneath the truck. Despite the swift actions of bystanders who rushed to assist, three children and the auto driver succumbed to their injuries at the scene.

The injured individuals were quickly taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Police and administrative officials have arrived at the site to oversee the situation and conduct an investigation.

Grief-stricken family members and locals congregated at the accident site, mourning the loss of young lives. Residents staged a roadblock, causing significant traffic congestion in the vicinity.

Ramgarh MLA Mamta Devi also visited the location to address the concerns of the bereaved families.

The state government had mandated that all educational institutions—both government and private—remain closed until January 13 due to an intense cold wave. However, Goodwill Mission School chose to disregard this mandate and stayed open.

Local residents and parents are holding the school administration accountable for this unfortunate incident.

Officials present at the scene have stated that appropriate action will be taken against the school for breaching the government order.

The truck driver fled the scene post-accident, and authorities are currently conducting a search operation to locate him.

This heartbreaking event has left the community in shock, igniting demands for stricter enforcement of safety protocols and government regulations to avert similar tragedies in the future.