“How will we survive?”: Family of seven loses sole breadwinner in Poonch shelling
Poonch: The family of Chowdhary Mohammad Akram, a 50-year-old daily wage labourer from Sukh Khata village in Poonch, has been left in despair after he was killed in Pakistani shelling on May 7.
Akram, the sole breadwinner for his family of seven, sustained fatal injuries when a shell landed near his home amid heavy shelling on border areas, as reported by The New Indian Express on Monday.
His wife, Farida Bi, recounted the terrifying moment when explosions rocked their area. “As Akram reached near the gate, a shell landed near our house and exploded with a big bang," TNIE quoted her as saying.
Akram suffered multiple splinter injuries and was rushed to the District Hospital in Poonch by neighbours. Doctors declared him brought dead. Akram’s final rites were held in his native village, attended by grieving relatives and neighbours.
His elder daughter, Afreen Firdous, who was also injured, was treated and later discharged.
His death has left his family without any means of livelihood as Akram was the sole earner of the family. Farida Bi shared that they were surviving on her husband’s daily earnings.
“I have small kids and they are searching for their father. The killing of Akram has brought us to the road,” she shared.
Akram leaves behind his wife, four daughters, two sons, and two brothers, who have their own families. “We all are in the labour force. We survive on a hand-to-mouth basis,” TNIE quoted Akram’s brother Mohammad Bashir as saying.
He said Akram’s death is a massive loss for the family, especially for his children, as he was deeply committed to providing them with a good education.
Bashir appealed to the government to support the bereaved family by offering a job to the widow and ensuring the education of the children is not disrupted. He questioned how the family would manage school fees and other expenses if the government fails to step in and provide support.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
