Four-year-old dies after falling into water tank

: A four-year-old girl died after she accidentally fell into an uncovered water tank in north-west Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Nandini, a nursery student of Camp’s Convent School.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. when she was returning home from school with her mother and siblings.

The route they had taken was through an open field, where the tank is situated.

Familiar route

The victim’s mother, Sanju Devi, said they took the route most days to avoid a circuitous way back home.

The tank is owned by a Trust which runs the Sant Sujan Singh International School and an old-age home.

The tank is between 10 and 15 feet deep, and was filled up to the brim.

All of a sudden, Nandini started walking dangerously close to the tank, recalled her mother.

“She was in a playful mood. She then let go off my hand, and started walking along the edges of the tank. Despite repeated requests, she did not listen. Within moments, we heard a splash. She had fallen into the water,” said Sanju Devi.

At a loss

The hapless mother, upon finding no one to rescue the girl, jumped into the tank herself.

“I do not know how to swim, but my maternal instincts got the better of me. When I dived in, I realised that the water level was deeper than I had thought. I managed to get hold of the boundary wall of the tank, and kept shouting for help. Locals came to our rescue, and managed to fish her out. She was still breathing then,” said Sanju Devi. The girl was rushed to Max Hospital in Shalimar, where she was declared brought dead.

Ranjit Singh, the girl’s father, is an auto driver and was ferrying passengers at Subhash Place when he received the news of his daughter’s death.

‘Bright child’

Nandini’s family members said she was the smartest among their children and had scored 92 per cent in her recent tests.

The police have registered a case under Section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304A(causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Swaroop Nagar police station.

Meanwhile, the parents and locals staged a protest outside the Sant Sujan Singh School.

They blamed the authorities for leaving the water tank uncovered and exposed.