KOLKATA: An eight-year-old boy from
Metiabruz died on Saturday afternoon after he reportedly fell into a huge drum of water kept inside the bathroom at his home.
The police said the victim, Raju Das, a resident of Paharpur Road, was taken to CMRI Hospital, where he was declared brought dead around 3.30pm. The police will investigate how an eight-year-old could not climb out of the drum.
According to the family, Raju was probably playing with the water in the drum, when he must have fallen inside, head first. Unable to climb out, the helpless child remained in the water face down for at least 10 minutes before his family members found him and pulled him out. "The family was extremely upset and didn't initially want police intervention, hoping the boy could be saved. They tried to get him admitted to the hospital, but their effort came to a nought, when he was declared brought dead," claimed a neighbour, Punni Devi. "Cops from the Metiabruz police station started a case of unnatural death, sent the body for post-mortem and seized the water drum."
The police said they would speak to family members once they settle down a bit.
In February, a 15-month-old toddler had similarly drowned in a bucket of water kept in the bathroom at their Metiabruz home, even as his twin sister played beside him, while the parents taught his elder brother (7) in a bedroom.
Representative image