11-year-old boy drowns in lake in Kalwa

THANE: A Sunday morning outing turned tragic for three children from Vikhroli, after one of them drowned while swimming in a lake at Kalwa.

THANE: A Sunday morning outing turned tragic for three children from Vikhroli, after one of them drowned while swimming in a lake at Kalwa.

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Kunal, 7, Rohit, 8, and Monu, 11, all rag-pickers, took a train on Sunday morning from Vikhroli to Kalwa.

An initial probe showed the boys decided to take a dip in a lake near Kalwa railway station.

“The children did not know how deep the lake was. They started screaming for help, and some local residents rushed to pull them out,” said Santosh Kadam from the regional disaster management cell.

“We reached the spot as soon as we were alerted. Kunal and Rohit were pulled out safely, but Monu drowned.”

Fire brigade personnel located Monu’s body and pulled him out, officials said. The children were taken to the Thane Civil hospital, but Monu was declared dead on arrival. The other two are being treated.

An inspector from the Kalwa police station said tracing the boys’ families was initially a challenge, as the minors were unable to give them their family names. “We managed to find and inform their families,” the inspector said. A case of accidental death has been registered.