In a freak accident, a two-and-a-half years old boy died a horrific death after he fell into a pot of boiling sugar syrup kept near the road by a callous confectioner.
The nightmarish incident took place at 4 pm on Tuesday in block number 33 of Trilokpuri, when Pinky, the mother of the boy Dev, had gone to buy milk.As Pinky, who was holding Dev in her arms, was walking towards the shop, a rashly-driven e-rickshaw hit her with such force from behind that she fell to the ground and the child was flung across the road and fell into a pot filled with boiling sugar syrup.
People watched in horror as the child was burnt alive in the sugar syrup before their eyes. However, no one came forward to help the screaming child.Pinky picked herself up and rushed to the aid of her son. Desperate to save her child the hapless mother pulled him out of the pot by plunging her arms into the scalding syrup.
The locals rushed Pinky to the nearby lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital with her badly burnt child in her arms.Pinky also suffered severe burns on both her arms.
At the lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital they were given some treatment and then referred to Safdarjung Hospital. But all the efforts of the doctors at Safdarjung Hospital to save Dev, who had suffered 100 per cent burns, went in vain and he succumbed to his injuries at night. However, the doctors were able to save Pinky.
Even though the police managed to seize the e-rickshaw from site of the accident, the driver is absconding. Preliminary investigations revealed that it was the fault of the driver and the sweet shop owner, who had placed the boiling pot near the road in blatant disregard to the law.Police officials have contacted the dealer of the e-rickshaw who has given the contact details of various drivers who worked with him.
“My son died a painful death because of someone else’s mistake. No one can make up for the loss of my son. The police have not arrested the accused till now,” said Sanjay, Dev’s father.He alleged that the Police Control Room van reached the spot an hour after the incident. A case under appropriate sections has been registered at the Mayur Vihar Police Station.