India, June 19 -- The death of an Indian teenager during a horse-drawn carriage ride in New York City's Central Park has reignited a long-running debate over the future of the city's iconic tourist attraction, with lawmakers, animal rights groups and city officials now pushing for a ban on the industry.

An 18-year-old tourist, identified in a New York Post report as Romanch Mahajan, was visiting New York with his family when a horse pulling their carriage suddenly bolted, leading to his death in a fatal accident. He reportedly died trying to protect his mother during runaway carriage incident.

The carriage driver had stepped away to take a photograph of the family when the horse bolted, the report in the Post added.

He is believed to b...