1 week ago
Delhi Teen’s Body Recovered After Four-Day Jasola Drain Search
Mithun was a 15-year-old student who lived in Jasola, Delhi.
He reportedly fell into an open drain while chasing a kite.
This happened around 11 a.m.
on a Saturday.
His family feared that the water had carried him away.
Firefighters, police, disaster-response workers, divers and other rescuers searched for him.
His father was also seen trying to clear garbage from the drain himself.
Rescuers found Mithun’s body at about 1:15 p.m.
on Tuesday.
The body was sent for a post-mortem examination.
The incident led to anger about the dangerous, uncovered drain and questions about which government agency was responsible.
Mithun Kumar, a 15-year-old Class 8 student, reportedly fell into an open drain in Jasola while chasing or retrieving a kite.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Saturday, with reports differing on whether the search lasted three or four days.
Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force, divers and other rescue teams searched the drain and downstream areas.
Mithun’s body was recovered around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday after garbage, construction debris and other obstructions were cleared.
The tragedy prompted outrage, a junior engineer’s suspension and disputes over responsibility for maintaining the uncovered drain.
- Who
- Mithun Kumar, a 15-year-old Class 8 student; his family; residents; and multiple rescue agencies.
- What
- Mithun reportedly fell into an open drain while chasing a kite, and his body was recovered after a multi-day search.
- Where
- An open drain in Jasola village, southeast Delhi, near the family’s home; the search also covered downstream areas.
- When
- Around 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 22; the body was recovered at about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday. Reports described the search as lasting three or four days.
- Why
- He was reportedly running after or trying to retrieve a kite when he fell into the drain.
Family and Residents
Civic Authorities and Agencies
Drain safety and responsibility
Family and Residents
Mithun’s father and local residents questioned why the drain was open, unguarded and clogged, arguing that better maintenance or covering it could have prevented the tragedy.
Civic Authorities and Agencies
Delhi Jal Board officials said the drain carried treated effluent from the Okhla Sewage Treatment Plant and had been handed over to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The MCD had separately said that maintenance was the responsibility of the Irrigation and Flood Control department.
Rescue response
Family and Residents
Mithun’s father alleged that crucial time was lost during the initial hours and personally entered the drain to remove garbage while searching for his son.
Civic Authorities and Agencies
Authorities launched a multi-agency operation involving the Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force, divers and other rescue personnel, but officials said clogged garbage and debris obstructed recovery.
Accountability
Family and Residents
Residents called for open drains to be covered and safety measures to be strengthened, particularly during the monsoon season.
Civic Authorities and Agencies
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta sought information about jurisdiction and responsibility, while the MCD suspended a junior engineer and initiated disciplinary proceedings over alleged dereliction of duty.
Key facts
- Victim
- Mithun Kumar, a 15-year-old Class 8 student
- Incident location
- An open drain in Jasola village, southeast Delhi
- Incident time
- Around 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 22
- Recovery time
- Approximately 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday
- Search agencies
- Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, divers and other rescue teams
- Recovery conditions
- The body was found beneath garbage, plastic bottles, construction debris, clothes and tyres
- Administrative action
- The Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended a junior engineer for alleged dereliction of duty and began disciplinary proceedings
- Post-recovery action
- The body was sent to AIIMS for a post-mortem examination
Quotes
Muhammed Amran
An 18-year-old neighbour
“My son and Mithun used to go to school together. Both his parents work, so they are not around most of the time. I just took my eyes off him for a second that morning. The next thing I heard was a child in the neighbourhood screaming ‘Mithun has fallen’”
indianexpress.com
“If the four-to-five-foot-deep drain had been covered, my child would still be alive. All we want is for our child’s body to be found. We want nothing more from the authorities.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
Missing 15-year-old boy's body recovered from Jasola drain after four-day search
Heaps of garbage cleared: Body of teen found 3 days after he fell into drain while chasing kite
Body of Delhi teenager recovered four days after open drain fall; father’s desperate search stirs outrage
Missing teen's body recovered from drain after 3 days
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