Delhi Monsoon Tragedy Mukhmelpur Pit Drowning Hiranki Yamuna Missing

Two children, aged 8 and 10, drowned after they fell into a pit filled with rainwater in Outer-North Delhi’s Mukhmelpur village on Sunday, police said. The deceased were identified as Ayush (8) and Nitesh (10). In a separate incident, four more children, who had gone to the Yamuna for a bath in the neighbouring Hiranki village, went missing, officers said. According to police, the pit in Mukhmelpur village was dug to drain excess rainwater from a field. The boys, who were playing with other children in the fields behind their homes, slipped and fell into the pit and drowned, they said. As other children raised an alarm, villagers rushed to the spot, pulled both out and took them to a hospital where doctors declared them dead, said an officer. A case of death due to negligence was filed at Alipur police station and a probe was launched, police said. Preliminary inquiry indicated that farmers who tended the field had dug the pits. As the families of the deceased blamed the field owner for the deaths, the police said action will be taken based on the findings of the probe. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer-North) Shobhit Saxena said the boys lived with their family in Mukhmelpur. Ayush studied in Class 2 and Nitesh studied in Class 3. Both were students of a nearby government school. The bodies were sent to the mortuary at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital. Rescue op underway The four minor boys who are feared drowned in the Yamuna had gone to the river on Sunday evening, police said. A preliminary enquiry revealed that five boys, aged between 14 and 15, had gone to the river. Four of them were caught in a strong current and were swept away. The fifth boy managed to come out of the river and raised an alarm, following which locals working in nearby fields rushed to help. However, by the time assistance reached, the four boys had disappeared in the water, police said. According to the police, a PCR call was received at Alipur police station around 7:46 pm on Sunday. The caller informed officers about four boys who were feared drowned near Thokar No. 24 in Hiranki. A police team rushed to the spot. They also informed the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, the Fire department and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate concerned. A coordinated search and rescue operation involving all the agencies is currently underway, officers said. Police said all efforts are being made to trace the missing children. Further legal proceedings will be initiated after they are found, they said.