8-Year-Old Boy Critical After Jumping from Moving Auto-Rickshaw

SRINAGAR: An eight-year-old boy sustained critical injuries after reportedly jumping from a moving auto-rickshaw near his home in Nihama area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday evening.

Hospital sources said the injured child, identified as Arifeen-ul-Haq, son of Arshid Ahmed Wani, a resident of Nihama Pulwama, was initially taken to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Pampore for immediate medical attention. Owing to the severity of his injuries, he was later referred to Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital for advanced treatment.

Doctors at SMHS confirmed that the boy’s condition remains critical and he is under close medical supervision. “He suffered multiple injuries due to the impact of the fall and is being managed by a team of specialists,” they said.

Locals from Nihama said the incident occurred when the child reportedly leapt out of a running auto-rickshaw near his home for reasons yet to be ascertained. “It happened so suddenly that the driver couldn’t stop the vehicle in time,” said a local eyewitness.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and are investigating the circumstances that led to the mishap. Preliminary reports suggest the boy may have attempted to jump out, thinking the vehicle had slowed down near his home, but lost balance and fell onto the road. [KNT]