Boy falls into sewer in Delhi dismembered body found after 24-hour search operation

New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) A 24-hour rescue operation to find a four-year-old boy who fell into an open sewer in the Baprola area here ended tragically on Wednesday when the team found the child's dismembered body at a water treatment plant in Nilothi, police said.

     Police suspect that the body was dismembered after passing through the sewage treatment plant, where large rotating machines filter and treat wastewater.

     The child fell into the manhole near Kheri Baba Pul in Nangli Vihar Extension on Tuesday afternoon, triggering an extensive search operation involving the Delhi Police, fire brigade personnel, local divers and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

     The rescue teams followed the sewer and drain route and eventually reached the Water Treatment Plant in Nilothi, Nihal Vihar, where the child's body was found in multiple parts, police said.

     They said the team retrieved the body and sent it to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for preservation and post-mortem. Authorities will conduct DNA profiling to establish the child's identity.

     "DNA profiling will be conducted to establish the identity of the deceased child. Further investigation is underway," a senior police officer said, adding that an FIR under section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) has been registered against unidentified persons.

     The atmosphere remained tense on Tuesday as rescue personnel worked for hours, with locals standing alongside the family, offering support and hoping against hope that the child would be brought out alive.

     "We gathered here because the family was going through an extremely hard time. We wanted them to know that they were not alone. Everyone was praying that the child would be found safe," a local resident said.

     Another resident described the incident as tragic and raised concerns over open manholes and uncovered sewers in residential areas.

     "It is painful that a child lost his life after falling into a manhole. Open manholes invite accidents. Authorities must ensure that these are properly covered, as such incidents can happen to anyone," the resident said.

     According to police, officials received information about the incident at the Ranhola police station in outer Delhi around 3:21 pm on November 10.

     The child had accompanied his mother to Dass Garden Park. While moving towards the drain to relieve himself, he accidentally fell into a manhole, police said.

     Rescue teams searched the sewer and adjoining drain for nearly seven hours on Tuesday but could not locate him. Poor visibility and difficult conditions at the site hampered the operation on Tuesday night. The search was suspended for the night, and resumed on Wednesday.

     Police said the operation was particularly challenging as the sewer was connected to the drain, making it difficult for the rescue personnel to trace the child's movement through the network.

     Police said the operation ultimately led to the recovery of the child's body.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)