Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 6: On Friday July 5, a boy named Ankit (12) from Kannagudde near Kodakkal in Padil in the city lost his life after getting drowned in an abandoned well.

A total of seven children from the same neighbourhood including Ankit had visited the well that is in a neglected state, for taking bath on Friday morning. As schools were closed on Friday because of floods and rain, both the sons of Nandini from Kannagudde were at home when she went away for work. Ankit was with elder brother, Manoj, and his grandmother at home.

When some children from nearby houses went out for taking bath in the said well at Banattabail Kandevu nearby, Ankit followed them. By 11 am, all the children came up after taking bath, but Ankit, who got trapped in deep sediment at the bottom of the well, drowned in the water. Ankit did not know how to swim, while all his friends knew swimming, it is gathered. The children, who were frightful about losing Ankit, called people from nearby houses for help. Although a local youth jumped into the well and lifted Ankit out of water, the boy had breathed his last by then.

Ankit was the younger of the two sons of Nandini. His father had died when he was eight months old.  Nandini works as a labourer. Ankit was an eighth standard student of a private school in the city.

It is learnt that the said well, which looks tiny, is full of filth and dirty water. At present, it has 12-ft deep standing water because of recent rain. The above boys had somehow seen it and wanted to have fun, it is learnt.