A pall of gloom descended over Vimladevi Chawl at Poisar in Kandivali on Tuesday, as families of the two boys who died of electrocution on Monday struggled to come to terms with their loss.

The boys, Tushar Jha (11) and Rushabh Tiwari (10), had stepped out to enjoy the first shower of the season on Monday when they were electrocuted. They were rushed to Shatabdi Hospita in Kandivali, where they were declared dead before admission.

Small means, big dreams

Tushar’s mother, Mikki, who was inconsolable, said, “I repeatedly warned the children not to step out, but they didn’t listen.” Both the boys were Class VI students at Shrimati Saroja Devi Adarsh Vidyalaya and were living with their families in single-room houses in the chawl. “Despite our poor financial state, Tushar wanted to become a police officer when he grew up,” Aanchal, Tushar’s sister, said.

The boys were playing on the street where an iron ladder was placed. Unknown to them, there were some exposed wires next to the ladder. Electricity passed from the wires to the drenched ladder. The boys were electrocuted when they caught the ladder for support while making their way home through the narrow lanes of the chawl. Aanchal, who was also playing with them, first tried to help them but then ran back home to get help. The boys were then rushed to hospital. While the Kandivali police have registered accidental death reports, locals have blamed the civic authorities for failing to finish pre-monsoon work.