Surat tragedy: 2-year-old child falls into open drain, body retrieved after 24 hours

In a heartbreaking incident from the Variav village of Surat, a two-year-old child fell into an open drain near Radhika Point on Amroli-Variav Road on Wednesday. 

After 24 hours of search efforts, the child’s lifeless body was recovered on Thursday. The alleged negligence of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has resulted in the tragic loss of an innocent life, as the authorities failed to rescue the child despite extensive efforts. 

Fire department teams and other authorities conducted a rescue operation for 24 hours. The incident has sparked grief and outrage among the child’s family and local residents.  

According to reports, the child, Kedar, was walking with his mother, Vaishali Vegad, in the Budhwari market area on Amroli-Variav Road when he accidentally fell into an open drain filled with rainwater. 

The innocent child was on his way to buy ice cream when the unfortunate incident occurred, as per reports. This tragedy has exposed the severe negligence of the municipal authorities.  

Fire and emergency services personnel, along with local residents, joined the rescue operation. Due to the strong water flow, the child was carried far away. 

Since Thursday, a large number of people have gathered to protest against the municipal corporation’s carelessness, chanting slogans and demanding accountability for the child’s tragic death.  

Public outrage

As the news spread, locals in large numbers gathered at the scene, expressing their anger. Upon receiving information, eight fire department teams launched an intensive search operation. Despite their efforts, the child could not be found. On the second day, rescue teams wearing breathing suits continued their search in the drain.

Moreover, illegal connections to the drainage and stormwater system had increased the water flow, making the search more difficult. Reports indicated that the main pipeline had a 15-foot-deep water flow, further delaying the operation.

The fire department, along with the municipal corporation’s zonal team, also conducted searches in the storm drains and nearby creek areas.  

Even by the afternoon of the second day, there was no sign of Kedar, intensifying the anger of his family and locals. Since Thursday, people have gathered in large numbers, staging protests and chanting slogans against the SMC. At one point, tensions rose due to the protests.  

The grieving mother reportedly said, “We were walking near Radhika Point when my child fell into the manhole.”  

Tragedy after his birthday  

Adding to the sorrow, the child’s birthday had been celebrated just three days before the accident. His grandmother, crying inconsolably, said, “Please find our Kedar and bring him back. He was taken away by the drain at 5 pm. We don’t need anything else, just our Kedar. It was a busy market day, and my relatives were with us. We had just bought ice cream, and while eating it, Kedar ran toward his mother and fell into the drain. Only one of his boots was left in our hands.”  

Chief Fire Officer Vasant Parekh stated, “The manhole cover broke due to heavy vehicles passing over it. A two-year-old child fell into it, and we are conducting a search operation. Around 60-70 personnel have been deployed for the rescue. There is no further information at this time.” 

AAP blames municipal authorities  

Following the incident, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly criticised the SMCfor its negligence. AAP leaders pointed out that despite hours passing, the authorities had failed to locate the missing child. The tragedy raises serious questions about the efficiency of the municipal administration. To demand immediate action, AAP corporators staged a protest along with the child’s grieving family.