Tragic accident claims the lives of three workers in New Delhi | Delhi News

New Delhi: Zahir35, was striving to improve his life. After going from being a rag-picker to Rickshaw driver In Shastri ParkHe had also managed to secure modest accommodation in the local slums after sleeping on the sidewalk for many years.
On Sunday evening, he felt unwell and suffocated in his jhuggi due to the oppressive heat and the relentless mosquitoes. His fate led him back to the sidewalkwhere he was run over by a passing truck just a few hours later.
Kamlesh and Mushtaq, who were seriously injured in the accident, tell similar stories.
After working all day as rickshaw and handcart drivers, the three were resting at the partition wall when the accident happened.
Some of the victims originally hailed from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and had come to Delhi to seek better opportunities to support their families back home, while others had settled in Shastri Park during their childhood.
Ajimul Khan, a childhood friend of Zakir, one of the deceased, recalled, “Zakir and I have been inseparable since childhood. We grew up together, playing on the streets of Shastri Park and eating watermelons in Tarbuz market. Before Zakir started working as a rickshaw driver, we worked together as rag pickers and collectors.”
“Zakir has lived in this area his entire life. I was the one who arranged his wedding and the ceremony took place in a square here in Shastri Park. I never thought that such a tragic fate would befall my friend,” he said.
“I came here immediately when I was informed about the incident. We took him to the hospital but doctors declared him dead on arrival,” Khan added.
Among the injured taken to GTB Hospital was Kamlesh (36), originally from Sitamarhi, Bihar, who worked as a handcart puller in Shastri Park and Gandhi Nagar.
“I have a wife and three children (two daughters and a son) living in Bihar. My parents are deceased and my brothers live in our native village, but I don't have their contact numbers. I used to earn Rs 400-500 daily, which was enough for my expenses, and send a part of my earnings home. I used to sleep in a jhuggi, but a friend suggested that we could sleep comfortably outside in the cool air, so I came and slept on the partition wall, which almost cost me my life,” Kamlesh said.
“Kamlesh has suffered multiple fractures. His condition is currently stable, but it will take some time for him to recover and resume his normal daily routine,” a doctor at the hospital said.
Mustaq (35), another injured person from Prayagraj, who worked as a rickshaw driver in Shastri Park, was also admitted to GTB Hospital. “I came to Shastri Park around 25 years ago with people from my native village to work and have been living here since then. I had to pay Rs 60 to the rickshaw owner daily. After paying that, I saved around Rs 250-300 every day, which was enough for me. Now I am on my own as I have no family here or at home and I cannot even work due to injuries all over my body,” lamented Mustaq.