Boy dies during rain in Delhi; police suspect drowning, civic officials claim he was hit by car

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) A 15-year-old boy died on a waterlogged road in central Delhi's Chanakya Puri area following heavy rains in parts of the city on Friday, police said. The reason behind the death is unclear as police had initially said the boy had drowned, while civic officials claimed that he was hit by a car.

Police had initially said the boy drowned after he accidentally ventured into deep waters while playing with his friends.

However, an NDMC official said the boy was hit by a car. "According to our information, it was not a case of drowning. The place where the incident happened was not submerged," the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) official said.

Police later said they are suspecting that the boy somehow got stuck under the wheels of a car that was parked on the roadside. By the time people pulled him out, he had lost consciousness.

The deceased, Sourabh, lived with his family at the Vivekanand Camp in the area, police said. The incident occurred on a waterlogged road near the British School, they said.

The victim's friends informed his family members, who immediately reached the spot, pulled him out of the water and rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, an official said.

Some residents suspect that the boy died after being hit by another car during the rain.

A video surfaced online, in which Sourabh could be seen being given CPR by commuters.

A police officer said Sourabh was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. He is survived by his parents, who are labourers, and two sisters and a younger brother. His elder brother lost his life in a road accident a few years ago.

Sourabh's sister Preeti told PTI that her brother was a student of class 9 in a government school.

"He was playing on the road during the rain. We don't know, how the incident took place but people told us that he was hit by a car. Some told us that he was stuck under a car," Preeti said.

She said her eldest brother died in a road accident near their house, a few years ago. Now, the family has lost the youngest son, Sourabh. His father, Kallu, told PTI that he was still clueless about the sequence of the incident. "The police did not allow us to see his body properly. They have told us that they will show the CCTV footage tomorrow," he said. The police said they were checking the CCTV footage to know the exact sequence of the event. They have also taken the statements of Sourabh's friends and other eyewitnesses.

The officer said the statement of the car owner had also been taken.

The police said the body of the victim was handed over to the family after the postmortem examination and further investigations are underway. PTI ALK MHS ALK HIG HIG