A six-year-old boy was killed, and his father injured, after a stationary truck loaded with stone chips fell on the motorbike they were travelling on near Rajnagar in Birbhum's Murarai police station area on Tuesday morning.

The mishap prompted local residents to set fire to the truck and a government revenue collection outlet, amid allegations that thousands of stone-laden trucks frequently ply through the village roads, risking their lives. They also set fire to a makeshift office of the local crushing unit owners.

Najesh Hansda, 6, was on his way to a local market, riding pillion on his father Naiki Hansda's motorbike when a stationary truck under repair near Santoshpur village suddenly toppled onto their vehicle.

While Najesh died on the spot, his father was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Local residents claimed that despite their repeated appeals to restrict the movement of stone-laden trucks on the village roads, particularly during the daytime, their concerns were ignored by the administration.

"So, the anger erupted in the revenue collection office," said a villager.

A police officer stated: "A probe has been started into both the accident and the arson incident."

Birbhum is known for its rich deposits of black stone, with hundreds of stone mines and crushing units scattered across areas including Muraroi, Rampurhat, Nalhati, and Mohammed Bazar. Thousands of trucks from different districts, including Calcutta, come to purchase stone chips, which are an integral part of construction.