Boy drowns in water tank at rail station

A 11-year-old boy drowned at an under-construction water tank on the grounds of the Banasawadi railway station on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Ravi, was a resident of Janakiram Layout and a class V student at the local government school.

The death was discovered after railway employees at the station noticed clothes at the edge of the tank. Suspecting that someone had drowned, several of the employees dived into the tank to search for the body. Failing to find anything, they alerted Fire and Emergency Services.

Rescue personnel rushed to the location and succeeded in fishing out Ravi’s body after a two-hour operation. According to police, the pit is eight-feet deep. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ravi and two friends were seen playing near the tank for the last few days. 

Recent rains had left the pit half-filled with water. According to police, Ravi and his two friends were seen at the pit on Monday as well.

Police suspect that the two boys, having seen Ravi drown, had run home without reporting the incident.

No protective wall

Anil K  Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager said that though the water tank did not have a protective wall, it was well within the premises of the railway station and that access to it could only have been gained through the station platform.

“The department will conduct an inquiry to find out how the boys were allowed to play near the pit,” he said.

When asked whether the department intended to provide compensation to the victim’s family, Agarwal said that there was no such provision. According to police, Ravi was the son of Bhaskar, a mason.