Delhi rescue teams search for 15-year-old, swept away in Jasola drain while chasing kite

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) A rescue operation is underway in southeast Delhi’s Jasola area to locate a 15-year-old boy who fell into an open drain while trying to retrieve a kite and was swept away by a sudden rush of water.

The teenager, identified as Mithun, was reportedly chasing the kite when he fell into the drain on Saturday morning. Nearly 24 hours after the incident, rescue teams have continued searching the drain and surrounding areas, but the boy has not yet been located.

The child’s elder brother, Joginder, said the teenager was a Class 8 student and was trying to retrieve a kite when the incident occurred.

“…He was in Class 8. He was trying to retrieve a kite… My sister-in-law saw him fall, and the water came rushing and swept him away,” he told IANS.

“No traces of him till now, when he fell down the waterflow was very fast and as we reach near the drain he was swept away.”

The incident has prompted a multi-agency search operation involving the Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Boat Club teams. Personnel have been carrying out searches in the drain and nearby areas in an effort to trace the missing teenager.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, information about the incident was received at 11:54 am on Saturday. Following the alert, two fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the location and a search operation was launched.

The East Delhi district administration, Boat Club team and NDRF personnel have also joined the rescue effort. Teams are examining the drain and surrounding stretches where the teenager may have been carried by the water current.

The search has continued despite the difficulty of operating in the drain and the possibility that the strong flow may have carried the boy farther from the point where he fell.

Family members have remained at the site as rescue personnel continue their efforts to locate Mithun. The incident has also raised concerns over the dangers posed by open drains, particularly during periods of heavy water flow.

Officials and rescue personnel have been working to trace the teenager’s possible route after he was swept away. Teams are searching both the drain and adjoining areas, while efforts remain focused on locating him as soon as possible.

As the search remains underway Mithun’s family is awaiting news from the rescue teams, hoping that the ongoing search will lead to his safe recovery.

–IANS

rs/mr