9-year-old boy dies after falling into pit filled with rainwater in north Delhi

Abdul Khalid, 9, had gone to play in a park along with his friends when he fell into the pit. His friends revealed what had happened later when his parents asked them about.

An 8-year-old boy, who was playing cricket in a DDA park with his friends, drowned after he fell inside a pit full of rain water in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri area on Tuesday at about 6pm.

The pit, that was nine to ten feet deep, had been dug to dump leaves for decomposition but it was not covered and rainwater had accumulated inside. (HT Photo)

The pit was reportedly dug up by DDA for some construction but no barricades or signages were put to keep people away.

Abdul Khalid reportedly went to the park with five other friends as the ground they usually play at was filled with water after the rains. While he was playing, he fell and stained his clothes. In order to wash off the mud, the boy went to the pit and while he was cleaning himself up he slipped inside.

“I heard him shouting my name. I quickly went to see what had happened. I realised he slipped inside the pit. I saw him drowning. I quickly extended my bat and asked him to hold it. I thought I will be able to pull him out but he drowned,” Sajid, who went to play with Khalid, said.

The children ran outside looking for help. “We called two men from outside. We told them that our friend had drowned. They immediately jumped into the pit to rescue him but could not find him. They thought that we were lying,” Sajid said.

Khalid’s friends went to his house at around 7 pm and informed his parents about the accident. The parents had started looking for Khalid by then. They then made a PCR call and a team reached the spot.

“The police came and then took the body out. He was unconscious. He was taken to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival,” a local said.

The locals were furious over DDA digging the pit and not putting up any signages. “If they had dug a pit, they should have covered it. If not then should have at least put some fence or a signage. How could they leave such a deep pit uncovered?” a local said.

“He was the only son. How will the family cope up with this loss? They have lost their son only because the authorities were not careful enough. This is extremely tragic,” he said.

DDA vice chairman Udai Pratap said employees have been directed that there should be no waterlogging in any parks. “I have asked for a report in this particular incident. Also, I have asked officials to place signboards at all sensitive points.”