A tragic accident took place in Siddharthnagar district when a disused water tank structure gave way, leading to the death of a 10-year-old boy and leaving two other children critically injured. On Saturday, five children climbed an old and abandoned water tank located near the Kashiram Housing area.
The structure, which was built nearly 30 years ago, had already been declared unsafe. However, children were still seen going there, often to record social media videos.
While the group was coming down, the staircase suddenly collapsed. Three children — Golu (12), Sunny (14), and Siddharth (10) — fell from the structure. They were quickly taken to a medical college, where Siddharth was declared dead on arrival. The other two were later referred to Gorakhpur for advanced treatment as their condition remained serious.
Two children, Pavan (14) and Shaban (12), were left stranded at the top of the tank after the collapse. Rescue efforts continued overnight, but heavy rain made access difficult and delayed operations.
In the early hours of Sunday, an army helicopter was called in from Gorakhpur to carry out the rescue. The stranded children were safely brought down around 5:20 am in a short operation lasting about 15 minutes. They were then shifted to Gorakhpur for medical care.
Officials said that local authorities had tried to build an alternative route to reach the children, but the weather disrupted those plans.
"An incident occurred when five children climbed atop a water tank to record a reel, and when the stairs broke, three of them fell from the water tank. One child died, and two others are being treated at the medical college. For the rescue operation of the two children who were still atop the tank, we first called a fire engine from Gorakhpur. Because the soil was very muddy and the road wasn't properly built, we consulted with the Air Force officer in Gorakhpur as part of Plan B,” Siddharthnagar DM Shivsharanappa said.
“They dispatched a helicopter around 5 AM this morning, and the two children were safely rescued and sent to their parents' home. We thank the Chief Minister's office, whose coordination provided the Air Force and ensured the successful, quick operation," he added.
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