A 28-year-old man lost his life in Kerala’s Idukki district after his motorcycle went out of control and plunged into an open roadside pit that had reportedly remained unattended for years. The incident has sparked public outrage, with residents blaming local authorities for failing to close or secure the pit despite the culvert project for which it was originally dug never being completed.
The accident, captured on a nearby CCTV camera, showed the victim, identified as Jaice Benny, losing control of his motorcycle before falling into the deep pit along the roadside. The pit had been excavated many years earlier for culvert construction, but the work was eventually abandoned, leaving the hazard exposed. Following the crash, locals rushed to the scene and immediately shifted Benny to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries despite medical efforts.
The tragedy has triggered strong reactions from residents, many of whom accused the administration of negligence for not filling or safeguarding the pit even after the project was halted. Locals alleged that repeated inaction by authorities directly contributed to the fatal accident and demanded accountability for what they described as a preventable death.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a similar tragedy last month involving 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta in Noida, whose car fell into a water-filled pit while he was returning home from work. Despite prolonged rescue efforts carried out in the presence of police personnel and his family, Mehta could not be saved, intensifying nationwide concerns over unattended construction hazards and civic safety failures.
Following Benny’s death, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family and have launched an investigation to examine possible administrative negligence and determine responsibility for the unsafe condition that led to the accident.
