Bodies of 2 minors found from pit at construction site in Tumakuru

The incident took place on Thursday evening when two boys fell into an unsecured water-filled pit while playing near the construction site in Hucchanahalli village, Tiptur taluk

Bodies of two minors boys were found on Friday from a water-filled pit near the ongoing Ettinahole irrigation project in Tumakuru district, police said.

The Ettinahole project, which has been under development for several months, involves digging pits to divert water to construction sites (File photo)

Tiptur Rural police station inspector B Nagaraju said that the incident took place on Thursday evening when two boys, identified as Yaduveer (8) and Manohar (10), fell into an unsecured water-filled pit while playing near the construction site in Hucchanahalli village, Tiptur taluk.

He said: “The boys, who had just returned from school, were playing. When they did not return home till evening, their families began a search for them. Later, they filed a missing complaint at the Tiptur Rural police station. After a search through the night, their bodies were discovered at around 7 am on Friday morning by a villager who stumbled upon the pit.”

“We have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating. After post-mortem procedures at Tiptur government hospital, the bodies were handed over to the families,” Nagaraju said.

The Ettinahole project, which has been under development for several months, involves digging pits to divert water to construction sites, which is a standard practice according to Ettinahole project superintending engineer HA Anand.

“After the work is complete, we close these pits, and many have already been closed. Currently, about four kilometers of canal work is underway, set to be finished in two months,” he said.

According to officials, the villagers have long voiced concerns about the construction hazards in the area, including open pits, lack of warning signs, and absence of barricades or security measures, which have left residents, especially children, vulnerable.

Following the incident, local MLA K Shadakshari, along with district SP KV Ashok visited the scene to meet with the families and assess the site’s safety.