Two boys drown in rainwater excavation pit in Mukhmelpur village
Two minor boys, aged eight and ten, died after drowning in a rainwater-filled excavation pit in Mukhmelpur village, near Hiranki Road in Outer Delhi, on Sunday afternoon. The victims slipped into the deep pit while playing in the agricultural fields located behind a house.
The incident occurred around 4:00 PM when the two children went out to play. According to the Delhi Police, the pit had been dug for drainage and the temporary storage of excess rainwater from nearby agricultural land. Investigators suspect that the excavation may not have been adequately secured, creating a hazard for children in the area.
After the children went into the water, local residents spotted them, pulled them out of the pit, and rushed them to the hospital. Emergency services were alerted soon after, with the Delhi Fire Services receiving a call at 5:55 PM and the Delhi Police receiving a call at 6:08 PM.
The boys were taken to the Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela. However, doctors at the hospital declared both children brought dead.
A police officer stated that a preliminary inquiry revealed the children were playing in the fields when the incident happened. However, because there were no eyewitnesses, authorities have not yet fully ascertained whether the boys accidentally slipped or if they had deliberately entered the pit to take a dip.
The eight-year-old victim was a resident of Uttarakhand Colony and the son of a driver. The ten-year-old victim lived in Haiderpur and had been living with his uncle since his father passed away.
The bodies of both children have been shifted to the mortuary at BJRM Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
The Delhi Police have registered a First Information Report under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which relates to causing death by negligence. An officer confirmed that further investigation is underway and that police are examining the role of the individual responsible for maintaining the water-filled excavation pit.
