Four-Year-Old Boy Falls Into Deep Sewer in Outer Delhi, Body Recovered at Treatment Plant

A four-year-old boy named Imran died after falling into a nearly 50-foot-deep sewer in outer Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. The child had accompanied his mother to Dass Garden Park in the Ranhola area and reportedly stepped toward an open manhole alongside the service road to attend to nature's call when the accident occurred. The manhole was allegedly covered with a thin fibre sheet.

Rescue Operation and Recovery

Authorities received information about the incident at the Ranhola police station around 3.20 pm on Tuesday. Personnel from the Delhi Fire Services, local divers, and the National Disaster Response Force launched a joint rescue operation. Search teams inspected the underground network using searchlights and breathing apparatus to navigate toxic gases. After halting the water flow, responders ultimately recovered the child's dismembered body around 3.5 km away at a water treatment plant in Nilothi approximately 20 hours later.

Family Allegations and Official Response

The victim's family criticized the initial search efforts, claiming authorities focused too narrowly on the accident site instead of tracing the sewer route until Wednesday morning. Investigators stated that DNA profiling would be conducted to establish identity, while the remains were sent to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police registered a case under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence.

Infrastructure and Jurisdiction Details

Officials from the Delhi Jal Board noted that the interceptor sewer line runs beneath the boundary wall of the Najafgarh Drain, which is overseen by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department. According to authorities, the manhole cover was found damaged, and the specific stretch had previously been restricted by police due to another unlawful incident.