2 boys drown in Haiderpur canal

Two boys, who went for a swim, drowned in Haiderpur canal in Shalimar Bagh, CM Rekha Gupta’s constituency, here on Sunday evening.

The family members of the boys claimed that timely intervention from the passersby or the police could have saved their lives.

The deceased have been identified as Aniket (9) and Krishan Kumar (13), both residents of slums near Ayurvedic Hospital in Shalimar Bagh.

“Neither the police nor hospitals helped us properly. If someone had helped us take him quickly to the hospital, maybe he could have been saved,” said Aniket’s aunt Premlata.

When The Tribune visited the spot, there was fear among parents and children as the place, near the canal, was once a spot to play as well as swim for them.

“The two elder children could not study much, but we had high hopes from him. His father was working hard so that Aniket could go to school properly. He was our last hope,” the aunt added.

The victims’ relatives pointed out that the spot had long been unsafe and their repeated complaints had gone unheard.

“That place is dangerous. Children play around it as the area looks like a park. It has no safety, and we kept complaining. Just eight days ago, another child drowned,” said another relative of the deceased.

“Both boys had lost their mothers earlier and were being raised by their fathers, who work as daily-wage labourers,” said neighbors of the duo.

According to police, the incident took place around 4 pm on Sunday. A PCR call regarding the incident was received around 10:17 pm.

The boys were rushed to the BJRM Hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival, an official said, adding that a post-mortem examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Fathers of both children had gone for work when the incident took place. A case has been registered and further investigation is on, the police said.