12-year-old crushed to death after iron gate of park collapses

Kolkata: A 12-year-old girl died after an iron gate of a park collapsed on her at D C Dey Road in Tangra on Saturday afternoon.

The deceased identified as Sushila Haldar, was playing with her friends adjacent to the park and were hanging from the gate when the gate broke open and fell on the girl. Her friends raised an alarm and the residents immediately rushed her to the nearby NRS Hospital where she was declared brought dead. Hospital sources said that Sushila had suffered grievous injuries on her head and bled profusely which led to her death.

The park that was under the maintenance of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and has been closed for renovation for a considerable period as work was undertaken to include facilities of a children's park. The iron gate was fixed two years back and it was put under lock and key to prevent any entry inside the park.

"The incident is unfortunate. A truck which had come for unloading its contents two days ago had hit the gate consequently the impact had weakened the gates foundation. I had immediately instructed for repair work and it was already going on. When the incident happened the people who were doing the work had gone for some food. I have visited the family members of Sushila," said Swapan Samaddar, councillor of ward 58, under which D C Dey Road is located.

Locals pointed out that after the gate was hit by the truck the clamp of the gate got loosened and so when the children started hanging from it, the gate collapsed.

Sushila was a student of Class VI in a local school and her mother earns a living through household chores with her father leaving the family some years back. Sushila also has a young sister.