Two-year-old falls in drain near house in North Delhi while playing, dies

Police said the body has been preserved at the hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that the child had likely wandered out of the house while playing and accidentally fell into the open drain, leading to drowning. Family members have not expressed any suspicion of foul play at this stage, officers said. There are several open drains in the area around the house, which have sparked safety concerns following the incident.

Officers said further inquiry is underway and statements of family members and locals are being recorded. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident will be confirmed after the post-mortem report and detailed investigation.

Appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry or if any complaint is received from the family, police added.

“Her family members and neighbours searched for several hours but could not trace her. Suspecting that the child might have fallen into a nearby open drain running along the lane, locals and police began searching the drain area. After repeated attempts, the girl was found stuck in sludge accumulated in the drain,” a police officer said.