CHENNAI: An eight-year-old boy drowned after he accidentally fell into a pit filled with rainwater at an under-construction site of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department in Triplicane on Saturday.

Probe revealed that the boy and his cousin sister were playing at the construction site. He had gone there to pick up the shuttlecock that had fallen into the pit.

The deceased was identified as V Vanamali of Triplicane. He was a Class 2 student at a private school in Mylapore. His father is a software professional. On Saturday, Vanamali’s family went to his grandfather’s house in Triplicane.

Police said that the under-construction site was adjacent to the grandfather’s house. The man had requested workers to do patchwork on his side of the wall as it was damaged.

Using the ladder, the boy and his cousin sister had climbed over to the other side of the compound, to play in the construction site when workers were away. While playing, Vanamali slipped and fell into an eight-feet-deep pit that was dug for an elevator shaft, said a police officer.

The girl rushed out and alerted her family members who sought help and pulled Vanamali out of the pit. He was rushed to a hospital nearby where he was declared as brought dead. Ice House police have registered a case and are investigating.