6-year-old boy drowns in water tank at construction site

The boy, identified as Golukumar Bijay Bhujia, lost his balance and fell into the six-feet deep temporary water tank of an under construction building in Balkum, Thane on Monday, while he was trying to fetch water using a bucket

Thane: A six-year-old boy reportedly drowned in a temporary water tank of an under construction building in Balkum, Thane on Monday. The boy, identified as Golukumar Bijay Bhujia, lost his balance and fell into the six-feet deep tank, while he was trying to fetch water using a bucket.

The boy might have tried to draw water from the tank, but instead slipped into the tank, said the police (Picture for representation)

Golukumar lived with his parents in a small hut near the construction site. His father, Bijay Bhujya, 35, is a plumber and has three children. On Monday, the boy went to a nearby construction site to relieve himself, but did not return.

Golukumar’s father said, “He often goes to the construction site to play with his friends. When he did not return, I thought he must have been playing out with his friends. In the afternoon, while all of his friends returned home for lunch, Golukumar did not come back. I started searching for him but in vain. Then I checked the tank, which we often use to draw water. We found him inside the tank. We immediately took him to a government hospital, where he was declared dead.”

Sanjay Nimbalkar, inspector, Kapurbawdi police station said “The boy might have tried to draw water from the tank, but instead slipped into it. We did an inquiry about the site and found that the safety precautions were up to the mark. This particular tank was opened by workers for their use just a few minutes ago. We have registered an accidental death report in the matter.”

A MHADA contractor, who was called by the police, on condition of anonymity, said, “We had taken all precautions but the work at the site was stopped for some time because of which no one was around to look after who was entering the premises. It was an unfortunate incident.”