Three children died after they fell and drowned in a trench filled with rainwater in Telangana's Rangareddy district on Monday, September 26. The incident occured near Shadnagar town, when the children fell into the trench while playing. According to police, the trench was dug in a real estate venture for some construction work, and was filled with water due to recent rains. The children reportedly entered the trench to catch fish and drowned.
A Shadnagar police official told the media that the incident occured near a bypass road of Solipur village, where a real estate venture had been taken up around 13 years ago. “We are not sure if it was dug up recently or if the trench was old. It was around five to six feet deept and about 20 feet wide. Three children — Fareed (13), Sahib (7) and Akshith (7) — got in to play or catch fish in the pit. They did not know how to swim. After one boy entered, two others held on to him, and all three slipped. A fourth boy who was with them ran and informed the local residents. By the time they arrived, the three boys had died,” the police officer said.
The victims’ families and a few local residents staged a protest demanding action against the construction firm which had dug the trench. The police officer said that it was unclear whether negligence on the part of the real estate venture or civic authorities led to the mishap. Police shifted the bodies for autopsy and have registered a case and took up investigation.
Earlier in March, a man, his son, and grandson drowned in a lake in Telangana's Warangal district. The incident occurred in Chinna Gurijala village in Narsampet mandal of the district. The deceased were identified as Krishnamurthy (65), Nagaraju (35), and Lucky (12). Quoting the eyewitnesses, police said Krishnamurthy was washing his feet in the lake, when he slipped and accidentally fell into the water. His grandson who was accompanying him jumped into the lake to save him. However, both started drowning. Nagaraju, who was also present nearby, rushed to save his father and son. He jumped into the lake but drowned along with them. According to local residents, none of them knew how to swim.
With IANS inputs