COIMBATORE: A four-year-old boy died after accidentally falling into an open drainage pit filled with water in Namakkal on Thursday, triggering widespread concern over safety lapses during civic works.

The deceased, Rohit, was the son of Manikandan, a building contractor, and Rathipriya, residents of Kadakkal Street in Chinnamudalaipatti, which falls under Ward No 4 of the Namakkal Municipal Corporation.

According to sources, Rohit was playing in front of his grandfather Veeran’s house nearby the pit in the same neighbourhood during evening hours when he suddenly went missing. Alarmed by his disappearance, the parents and relatives searched the surrounding streets and nearby houses but were unable to trace the child. Growing suspicious, they searched the water-filled pit that had been dug nearby for underground drainage work. To their shock, they found Rohit’s body submerged in the pit.

The pit, around five feet deep, had been excavated as part of the underground drainage project being implemented across 39 wards of the Namakkal Municipal Corporation. As the incident occurred on New Year’s Day, construction workers were not present at the site, and the pit had reportedly been left uncovered and without proper barricading, posing a serious safety hazard.

Upon receiving information, Namakkal police rushed to the spot and recovered the body, which was sent to the Namakkal Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered, and further inquiry is underway.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner K Sivakumar visited the site and conducted an inspection to assess the circumstances leading to the tragedy. On Friday, the Commissioner, along with Deputy Mayor S Boopathi, met the grieving family and handed over a compensation cheque of Rs 20 lakh on behalf of the civic body.