Mumbai: 5-year-old boy drowns in pit dug up to construct public toilet

A five-year-old boy drowned after falling into a water-filled pit dug up on the direction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for construction of a public toilet at a slum in suburban Kurla on Thursday.

A five-year-old boy drowned after falling into a water-filled pit dug up on the direction of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for construction of a public toilet at a slum in suburban Kurla on Thursday, police said.

The boy drowned after falling into a pit dug up by the BMC. (Representative image)

The incident took place around 11am. Mohammed Ali Rashid Ahmad accidentally fell into the few-feet deep pit filled with water at Hanuman Nagar slum, police said.

According to police, he was trying to catch a fish in the water when the incident happened.

“Ahmad was taken to Rajawadi hospital, where he was declared dead,” police said.

The pit was dug up by a private contractor -- MSB Narayan Associates, Engineers and Constructions -- for the BMC.

Nehrunagar Police has booked project engineer Tushar Gholap (33) and site supervisor Shivam Bind from the private contractor firm in this connection.

Further investigation is on.