Boy killed as playground gate falls on him at Malleswaram in Bengaluru

An 11-year-old boy died after sustaining severe head injuries when the iron gate of a playground at Malleswaram crashed on him on Sunday evening.

The deceased has been identified as Niranjan, a resident of Vivekananda Block slum, Dattatreya Temple Street.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when Niranjan and his 13-year-old friend visited Rajashankar Playground (Kulla Park) at Malleswaram to play. According to the police, when Niranjan tried to pull open the main gate, it fell on him and crushed him.

“The boy sustained severe head injury and there was a major blood loss. He died at K.C. General Hospital,” a senior police officer said.

Spot inspection by the police revealed that one of the hinges of the gate was rusted, leading to the incident, the officer said.

Niranjan was studying in class 5 in a government school at Malleswaram and used to visit the playground with his friend during weekends and holidays. An eyewitness told reporters that his friends playing cricket heard a sound and when they turned towards it, they saw the gate fall on Niranjan while the other boy escaped narrowly.

“We rushed to his help, and by then a tender coconut vendor who was nearby, with the help of passers-by, pulled out the boy and rushed him to the hospital. The boy had severe head injuries and was bleeding,” the witness said.

The playground belonging to the BBMP is visited by many, including senior citizens and children. Residents blamed negligence on the part of BBMP authorities concerned for the accident.

Niranjan was the son of Vijayakumar, an autorickshaw driver, and Priya. The Malleswaram police are awaiting the postmortem report and statement of the parents to register a case of unnatural death.

Health Minister and MLA for Gandhinagar Dinesh Gundu Rao visited the site and spoke with the victim’s family. After meeting the parents, Mr. Rao expressed his condolences, stating, “This is a tragic incident. A thorough investigation will be conducted, including examining the role of the BBMP. There were no prior complaints about the faulty gate. If the issue had been brought to my attention, I would have addressed it.”

Published - September 22, 2024 08:56 pm IST