Death in the playground 8212; Kids fall into acid drum

NEW DELHI, NOV 12: Two children died after falling into a drum of acidic chemical waste kept outside an industrial unit at Ganesh Nagar i...

NEW DELHI, NOV 12: Two children died after falling into a drum of acidic chemical waste kept outside an industrial unit at Ganesh Nagar in east Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. The children Somvati, 7, and two-and-a-half-year old Rajesh, were playing outside a half-built building where their father lived and was employed as a guard.

The drum belonged to the industrial unit and even hours after the police and the area MLA visited the spot today, it had not been removed. Police said the unit8217;s proprietor, R K Jain, was missing.

Neighbours say the elder child, Somvati, fell into the drum when she tried to rescue her brother, Rajesh, who had screamed after falling in. A truck driver sleeping in a room nearby also woke up on hearing the screams and took the children out.

While Rajesh died in LNJP hospital with 40 per cent burns in the evening, Somvati died on Thursday suffering 25 per cent burns. ACP East S M Bhaskar said the deaths had occurred more due to the intake of chemicals rather than burn injuries.The drum contained not pure acid but chemical wastes from the unit, he added.

Police arrived at the spot only on Thursday though people living in the area said they had informed them on Wednesday itself. However, additional SHO Makesh Kumar said they were officially informed today and no one knew of the incident the previous day.

The sub-inspector who got the call and the duty officer have been placed under suspension. Police sources say after receiving the call, the cops could not locate the hospital where the dead children were as cops got no information from the hospital as is normal. A probe has been ordered into why the hospital did not inform the police, DCP Balaji Srivastav said.

The acid was so potent that the hands of the children8217;s mother, Lachmi, got burnt when she picked up her kids. The youngest of Lachmi8217;s three surviving daughters also sustained burn injuries on her cheek.

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8220;I had lunch with my children before I left for work,8221; said Ram Saroop, the children8217;s father. 8220;But half an hourlater they were dead.8221;

8220;I had asked Lachmi not to send them out. But the children went out to play,8221; he added, rubbing his hands as he sat helplessly at the Trilokpuri police station. The charred bodies, awaiting transportation to the Sabzi Mandi mortuary, had been kept in a police van there.