4 children die after drowning in rain-filled construction pit in Maharashtra

Four children drowned on Wednesday evening after stepping into a rain-filled pit dug for an under-construction railway bridge in Maharashtra's Yavatmal.

The victims were identified as Rehan Aslam Khan (13), Golu Pandurang Narnavare (10), Somya Satish Khadsan (10) and Vaibhav Ashish Bodhle (14), all residents of Darwha town.

The incident occurred within the premises of the upcoming Darwha railway station, part of the ambitious Wardha–Yavatmal–Nanded project. Deep pits had been excavated for bridge pillars, but recent heavy rains left them filled with water. No protective barricades or safety measures had been put in place around the site.

According to locals, a group of children entered one of the pits to bathe. As they went deeper, they began struggling to breathe and lost consciousness.

Nearby residents rushed to rescue them and took them to Darwha Sub-District Hospital. The children were later shifted to Sanjivani Hospital in Yavatmal, where doctors declared them dead.

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(With inputs from Bhaskar.)