Mukhmelpur: Two children drown in rainwater-filled pit

Two children drowned after allegedly falling into a rainwater-filled pit while playing in an agricultural field in outer north Delhi’s Mukhmelpur village on Sunday evening, police said.

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had received a call at 5.55 pm reporting that two children were feared to have drowned in the pit, following which two rescue teams were rushed to the spot. 

Police later identified the victims as Ayush (8) and Nitin (10).

According to the police, a PCR call regarding the drowning of two minor children near Hiranki Road in Mukhmelpur village was received at 6.08 pm.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the boys had gone to play in the fields behind a house around 4 pm when they accidentally fell into the pit excavated for drainage and storage of excess rainwater from adjoining fields.

“With the help of firefighters and locals, the children were pulled out of the pit and admitted to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela, where doctors declared them brought dead,” the officer said.

The bodies were then sent to the mortuary at Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital in Jahangirpuri for post-mortem.  A case was registered at Alipur Police Station.

Police said prima facie negligence is suspected on the part of the person responsible for maintaining or securing the water-filled pit. They further said that an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the tragedy and identify those responsible. 

As news of the deaths spread through the village, anguished family members and residents gathered near the field, many breaking down in tears. Residents said children from the locality often visited the area to play and occasionally entered the water-filled pit without realising its depth.

According to locals, one of the boys is believed to have dived into the water-filled pit to rescue his friend after seeing him struggling.

“The other children accompanying them panicked, ran towards the village and alerted elders, who rushed to the spot,” a villager said. “The boys had gone out to play like they did every day. We never imagined they would not return home,” a grief-stricken family member said, struggling to hold back tears.

Another relative said the families were waiting anxiously as villagers searched the pit. “When they were finally brought out, everyone prayed they would survive. But at the hospital, doctors told us both children were dead,” the relative said.

Sachin, a resident of Mukhmelpur who participated in the rescue effort, said one child was pulled out quickly, but rescuers struggled for nearly half an hour to retrieve the other.

“We used ropes and bamboo sticks to search for the second child. The pit was much deeper than any of us had imagined. Rainwater had filled it, making it impossible to judge its depth,” he said.

Questioning the safety measures at the site, Sachin said there was no barricading or warning around the area.

“I don’t understand why such deep pits are left open in agricultural fields. Once they fill with rainwater, they become invisible. Had there been fencing or warning signs, perhaps these children would still be alive,” he said. Another villager said residents tried to revive the boys before they were taken to the hospital.