Tribal man carries 12 years old son's body home on shoulder

Ahmedabad, Oct 2: Following reports about a tribal man having to carry his son's body on his shoulder after failing to get ambulance at Vaghai in Dang district today, Gujarat government swung into action and provided help to the family.

The incident came to light today afternoon when photos of the man carrying the dead body of his son started circulating on social media, with reports that government hospital at Vaghai had refused to arrange an ambulance.

In the evening the government issued a clarification. It said that Keshu Paanchra, a tribal man who works as a construction labourer at Vaghai, took his ailing 12-year-old son, Minesh, to the government hospital in the town this morning.

The family hails from tribal-dominated Dahod district. Doctors declared the boy as 'dead on arrival'. Government statement said the hospital did not have a mortuary van and Keshu could not arrange a private vehicle, so he sought permission to carry the body home himself.

As they lived nearby, it would not be a problem, the family told the doctor, the release said. Some locals saw Keshu carrying the body and that's how misleading reports came out, it said.

Dang district collector then asked the Vaghai taluka mamlatdar to visit the family and extend all possible help.

The officials arranged a vehicle for taking the body to the family's village in Dahod district for last rites, stated the release.

Recently photographs of a man carrying the body of his wife on his shoulder in Odisha had caused outrage across the country.

PTI