Six minor boys are feared dead after two separate drowning incidents were reported from Outer Delhi on Sunday, 13 July, officials said on Monday. While four boys went missing after being swept away by strong currents of the Yamuna River in the Alipur area, two other children drowned in a rainwater-filled excavation pit in Mukhmelpur village — raising urgent concerns about unsafe water bodies across the capital during the monsoon season.

Yamuna Sweeps Away Four Boys in Alipur

In the first incident, four children were reportedly swept away while bathing in the Yamuna River near Thokar No. 24 in Hiranki village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Alipur police station in Outer North Delhi. A joint rescue operation was launched promptly, involving the Delhi Fire Service, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and other agencies.

Following several hours of intensive search, the bodies of two boys were recovered from the river. The search for the remaining two children was suspended at around 10.30 p.m. due to poor visibility and darkness, with operations set to resume. Local authorities have sealed off the area and appealed to residents not to venture near the Yamuna, warning that water levels remain dangerously high and currents are extremely strong.

Two Children Dead After Falling Into Excavation Pit

In the second incident, two minor boys aged eight and ten allegedly drowned after falling into a rainwater-filled excavation pit near Hiranki Road in Mukhmelpur village. The Delhi Fire Services received the alert at 5.55 p.m., while police were informed at 6.08 p.m.

According to a preliminary inquiry, the children had gone to play in agricultural fields behind a house at around 4 p.m. when they accidentally fell into the pit, which had been dug to collect excess rainwater from nearby fields. Local residents pulled the children out and rushed them to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra (SRHC) Hospital in Narela, where doctors declared both boys brought dead on arrival.

The bodies were subsequently shifted to the mortuary at Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Victims and Their Families

According to police, the eight-year-old victim was a resident of Uttarakhand Colony and the son of a driver. The ten-year-old boy lived in Haiderpur and had been staying with his uncle following the death of his father — making the tragedy doubly devastating for a family already grieving.

FIR Filed, Negligence Angle Probed

Authorities have registered an FIR under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to causing death by negligence. Investigators suspect the excavation site may not have been properly secured, rendering it hazardous for children in the vicinity. Officials said they are examining the role and responsibility of the person entrusted with maintaining the pit.

Notably, this is not an isolated occurrence — Delhi records multiple child drowning deaths each monsoon season, often linked to unsecured water bodies, flooded pits, and swollen rivers. With the Yamuna running at dangerous levels and the city's drainage infrastructure strained, authorities face renewed pressure to enforce safety barriers around open excavations and riverbanks.