Three boys drown in floodwater in Delhi

New Delhi: Three boys drowned in a ditch allegedly at a metro construction site while taking a bath in the floodwater in northwest Delhi’s Mukundpur Chowk on Friday, officials said.

Nikhil (10), Piyush (13) and Ashish (13) were residents of northeast Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, they said.

The Fire Department said a water tender was rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident at 2.25 pm. Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg said, “Three children drowned in a ditch at a metro construction site. They were pulled out and rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.” However, in a statement, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) issued a clarification on the children’s deaths. “This is to clarify that absolutely no such incident has been reported from our sites. DMRC’s sites are properly barricaded, and entry is strictly regulated only for authorised personnel,” it said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed sadness over the boys’ deaths and cautioned people against bathing in the Yamuna river, which is in spate.

He told reporters, “It is very unfortunate that three children have died in the city. From news reports, we have learned that all three children were out to take a bath in the river.” The AAP leader reiterated that people should not go near the water to click selfies. These are the first deaths to be reported in Delhi since the overflowing Yamuna inundated large parts of the national capital.