Six-year-old boy drowns in 5-foot-deep pit in Lucknow village

The boy fell into the pit when he had gone to relieve himself, according to Deputy Commissioner of police East Deeksha Sharma.

A six-year-old boy drowned after falling into a water-filled pit near a tubewell at Deeh village under the BBD police station area of the state capital on Saturday afternoon. The shocking incident once again raises concerns over open pits in and around Lucknow.

Police personnel at the site of the incident in Lucknow on Saturday. (HT Photo)

The boy fell into the pit when he had gone to relieve himself, according to Deputy Commissioner of police (DCP) East Deeksha Sharma. Sources said the pit was more than five feet deep and the child was unable to climb out of it.

Police said the boy, son of Brijesh Chaurasia, and his six-year-old friend, both residents of Deeh village and students of the same school, were walking near their homes around 4 pm when the incident occurred.

Family rushes boy to hospitals

The friend immediately alerted the boy’s family members, who rushed to the spot, pulled the child out, and took him to a nearby community health centre. They later took him to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, from where they had to take the child to the Mother and Child Hospital on Shaheed Path, where doctors declared him dead, family members said.

Ram Singh, BBD station house officer, said the boy’s father worked in the merchant navy as an engineer. He was not in Lucknow at the time of the incident.

Police said they were completing the necessary legal formalities and would take further action based on the findings.

Lucknow municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar, who directed a team to reach the spot, said Deeh village does not fall within the LMC’s jurisdiction. However, he assured that the civic body would extend whatever assistance was possible.