Video footage of a man being ignored as he begged for help following a road accident that killed his wife and child has led to accusations of “shameful” public apathy in India.
Police said Kanhaiya Lal’s appeals were ignored for 40 minutes on Monday after a speeding truck rammed his motorcycle on Sunday, which was also carrying his wife Guddi, 26, their 10-month-old daughter and four-year-old son.
His wife and daughter died of their injuries at the accident scene while the man screamed for help with his son, who was also injured, CCTV footage aired nationwide on Indian television showed.
“My son and I were shouting for help but no one stopped or came to our rescue. Passersby and several cars did stop to catch a glance but no one seemed to be bothered,” Lal said.
“Some cars almost touched the bodies as they passed by but nobody offered any help.”
He said that when an ambulance “which was not well equipped” finally arrived on the scene, the body of his wife was tossed into the back of the vehicle “like garbage”.
The footage showed motorists speeding past the stricken family until a city worker came forward to help.
“It’s the duty of all people to take such victims to hospital because lives could be saved,” Jaipur traffic police chief Lata Manoj said in a televised interview.
Prabhu Dayal, an uncle of the dead woman, blamed the deaths on public indifference.
“Her husband cried for help for 40 minutes but no-one stopped. It’s shameful that apathy took two lives,” he said.
