Maharashtra: 2-year-old boy injured after falling into open sewer chamber in Thane

Thane, Nov 19 (PTI) A two-year-old boy suffered injuries after plunging nearly 20 feet into an open sewer chamber in Maharashtra’s Thane city, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred near the Dnyanasadhana college on Tuesday evening, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Hamdan Gufran Qureshi, who lives in the Rabodi area of the city, had come to stay with his relatives. He was walking along the footpath with his mother when he lost his balance and fell into an open drainage chamber.

Local residents pulled out the child before the authorities arrived. Qureshi was first taken to the District Government Hospital before being shifted to a private medical facility in the city.

“A fall of nearly 20 feet is extremely dangerous, especially for a child this young. Fortunately, he survived. Our focus was to ensure he received immediate medical attention,” said Tadvi.

Officials said the sewer chamber lid had remained open as an iron pipe obstructed it. The pipe was cut and the chamber was properly closed, they said. “The department concerned must act swiftly and ensure that such safety lapses do not occur again,” said Tadvi. PTI COR NR