Minor siblings drown in rain-filled waste pit in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Two siblings, aged five and six, drowned in a rain-filled waste disposal pit outside their home in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband district on Sunday, highlighting the dangers posed by waterlogged open pits amid the active monsoon.The victims were playing outside their house on Tarra Road after the rain subsided when they are believed to have slipped into a nearby garbage disposal pit. Continuous rainfall had filled the pit with nearly 10-12 feet of water, leaving the children unable to climb out.When the siblings did not return home for a long time, family members and villagers launched a search and eventually found both children submerged in the pit.

They were pulled out immediately but were declared dead.A case of accidental drowning has been registered, though police said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after the postmortem report.The tragedy triggered grief across the village, with residents demanding that the administration fence off deep open pits, install warning signs and take preventive measures to avoid similar accidents during the monsoon.

The incident comes as the monsoon remains active across Chhattisgarh, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in several parts of central and south Chhattisgarh over the next two days, along with gusty winds of up to 60 kmph.