Ghaziabad: In a tragic incident in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, a nine-year-old boy lost his life after falling into a nine-foot-deep open drain attached to a newly constructed public toilet near the Dargah area.
The incident has sparked outrage among local residents, who have accused the Muradnagar Nagar Palika Parishad (municipal council) of gross negligence and failure to follow safety standards.
According to reports, Prince, son of a local resident named Sonu, was playing outside his home when he suddenly went missing. His family and neighbours launched a frantic search, which continued for several hours. During the search, villagers grew suspicious about the recently built toilet complex in the area. When they began draining dirty water from a deep pit near the toilet, they discovered the child’s body submerged inside.
Prince was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Ghaziabad, but doctors declared him brought dead. Residents allege that the drain had no concrete cover, leaving a nine-foot-deep hole completely open — a fatal oversight that led to the child’s death.
Following the incident, angry locals gathered at the site, accusing the Nagar Palika of neglect and demanding strict action against the officials and contractors responsible. “This isn’t the first time such negligence has taken a young life,” one resident said, recalling similar incidents that occurred in 2021 and 2023 in the same area.
Locals claim that despite repeated complaints, no safety measures were implemented, and civic construction works continue to be carried out without proper supervision or accountability.
Residents have urged the district administration to take immediate action to prevent such tragedies in the future. They have demanded that all newly built toilets, drains, and public structures be inspected to ensure safety compliance.