Child dies after falling into drain amid waterlogging in Cumilla

An eight-year-old girl died after falling into a drain hidden by waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall in Cumilla city last night (21 June).

The incident took place at around 9pm in the Chotora Paschimpara Eidgah area. The deceased, Smriti, was the daughter of Billal Hossain of the Kaliajuri Badarpur area.

According to locals and relatives, Smriti had attended her maternal uncle's wedding at her grandfather's house in the city's Mofizabad Colony. After the ceremony, she was returning home with her mother.

Unable to find a rickshaw because of waterlogging, they began walking along the roadside. At one point, Smriti slipped from her mother's hand and fell into a drain through a gap in a broken slab submerged under water.

Locals immediately began rescue efforts. The child was found about 10 to 15 minutes later after becoming trapped inside the drain some distance away. She had died by the time she was rescued, according to witnesses.

Officer-in-Charge of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station Touhidul Anwar said a police team visited the scene.

"This is an accident," he said.

Locals alleged that drain cleaning and renovation work was underway in the area and that several drain covers had been left open, while many slabs were broken.

They said continuous rainfall had caused waterlogging, submerging the open drains and damaged slabs and creating serious risks for pedestrians.

Residents demanded the urgent repair of risky drains and the introduction of safety measures.

Cumilla City Corporation Administrator Yusuf Molla Tipu expressed sorrow over the incident.

"This incident is extremely heartbreaking. I express my sorrow for this. All the unprotected slabs in the city will be covered. I will meet the child's family and try to stand by them to the best of my ability," he said.