Girl dies after iron gate falls on her in north-east Delhi

An 11-year-old schoolgirl died after the iron gate of a BSES office in northeast Delhi fell on her while she was returning home from a Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run school on Monday afternoon, police said

An 11-year-old schoolgirl died after the iron gate of a BSES office in northeast Delhi fell on her while she was returning home from a Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run school on Monday afternoon, police said.

TOPSHOT - A Delhi police barrier blocks a street during a Delhi state-wide weekend curfew imposed by the authorities to curb the spreading of the Covid-19 coronavirus in New Delhi on January 8, 2022. (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP) (AFP)

The Class 6 student, identified by her first name Dolly, was returning home with two of her schoolmates when the gate of the Khajoori Khas BSES office fell on her. The other two girls escaped unhurt.

Dolly’s uncle Satyaveer Singh said that she was crushed to death under the heavy gate. “Someone informed us about the incident through a phone call. By the time we reached there, my niece was already rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead. The police should probe whose negligence claimed my niece’s life and should punish the person,” he said.

The exact reason why the gate fell will be ascertained after a proper inspection by experts, police said. “A case of death due to negligence has been registered in connection with the death. The investigating team will probe the case and fix the responsibility on whosoever will be found guilty. Further probe is on,” said deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Sanjay Kumar Sain.

When contacted, a BSES spokesperson who did not want to be named said, “Our condolences are with the family of the deceased. We are cooperating with the authorities in the investigation.”

Dolly’s family lives in the Sonia Vihar area, around half a kilometre away from the site of the incident. Her father, Vijay Pal Singh, is an autorickshaw driver.

The place where the mishap took place is theft-prone, and the looting of iron gates, hinges, grilles, frames and other metal items are regularly reported, said a power department official who did not want to be named. “As per the preliminary reports, miscreants may have tried to steal the gate or parts of the gate, thereby making it unstable,” the official said.