Mumbai: 5-year-old boy drowns in water tank in Malad's Malwani

A person checking the tank in which the boy drowned.

A five-year-old boy drowned in an uncovered water tank on the terrace of a building in the Malwani area in Malad West, police said.

The incident took place in Navjivan Society on Monday evening. Police have identified the deceased as Abdul Rehman Shaikh, a resident of house number 15.

According to the police, Shaikh was with his friend, who is the son of Laiek Siddique, a neighbour and resident of house number 18.

Police said that Shaikh's mother was looking for him and called him to the house only to find that he was not playing with his friend. Concerned, Shaikh's mother, along with Siddique's other children, began searching for him when another neighbor mentioned seeing Shaikh going up the terrace.

Police said that Siddique's 16-year-old daughter went up to the terrace to check but could not find him. That is when she noticed the uncovered water tank, and upon looking inside, she found Shaikh submerged.

She screamed for help, and together with others, they pulled him out. Shaikh was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him dead upon arrival, said police.

Shaikh's family alleged that the water tank lid on Siddiquie's terrace had been left open, which led to this incident. The deceased's mother had reportedly warned Siddique and his family about the potential danger, as the children often play on the terrace.

"If the tank lid had been securely closed, this accident could have been avoided," said Shaikh's grandfather Gulam Qadir. He further demanded a fair investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those responsible for the negligence.

Police said that Shaikh's father, who works in Saudi Arabia, has been informed about the incident.

"The grief of his loss feels like a mountain upon us," shared a family member, mourning the devastating tragedy that has shaken their household.

Siddique also expressed grief over the tragic incident. "Rehman and his family are like my own. His death has come as a big shock to us."

Addressing society's ongoing water issues, Siddique explained, "We often have to monitor water levels while filling the tank. There was a lid on the tank, but it wasn't locked. We still don't understand how the child managed to reach the tank."

An accidental death report has been registered, and the body has been sent for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, and accordingly, action will be taken, said an officer from Malwani police station.