Kolkata: Five-year-old dies as old lamp post collapses in Ekbalpore

KOLKATA: A five-year-old boy died after an old KMC lamp post snapped in two and collapsed on him in Ekbalpore on Monday morning.
Hours before, Amit Das, along with his parents, had reached Kolkata from their home in Bihar’s Jamui to attend his cousin’s wedding. The child, who was admitted to CMRI Hospital with a fractured skull, brain injury and multiple wounds, died at night.
According to Amit’s cousin, Samir Das, the family reached their home in Ekbalpore around 7 am on Monday. The family said Amit’s father, Asoke, was a poor farmer in Jamui. Around 12.40pm, the child stepped out to play, when the lamp post fell on him, injuring him severely on the right side and back of his head. Police said he also suffered injuries on his chest and abdomen.
According to doctors at the hospital, the child was admitted to ICU and put on ventilation and kept under observation for his multiple injuries in his brain. Later at night, the hospital informed police that the child had died.
A KMC team from Borough IX visited the spot. An electrical department official working at the KMC headquarters said the lamp post had become vulnerable and was supposed to be replaced. “The lamp post was past its expiry date and plans were on to replace it. We never thought the post would collapse, leading to the unfortunate death of a child,” the official said. He added the department was asked to conduct a health survey of other such lamp posts in the area and submit a report at the earliest. “We will soon replace posts, which have become weak,” he said.
“From locals, we learnt the boy was playing in front of his reltive’s home, when the KMC street lamp post snapped into two and fell on him,” said an investigating officer, adding a case of death due to negligence had been lodged at the Ekbalpore police station.
A local said, “The lamp post is a single-light long beam post. This could have happened to anyone.”