Differently-Abled Boy, 6, Swept Away In Open Drain While Playing In Bareilly

A six-year-old differently-abled boy was swept away in a swollen open drain while playing in the rain here, prompting a search operation by authorities, officials said on Wednesday.The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Khera locality of Aonla town when Preet, who had a disability in his right leg, joined other children bathing on a rain-soaked street during heavy showers.The officials said the child accidentally slipped into an open side drain connected to a larger municipal drain and was carried away by the strong current before residents could rescue him.District Magistrate Avinash Singh said multiple teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were searching for the child.The Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Circle Officer were supervising the rescue operation at the site.Aonla SDM Sushil Kumar Mishra said the SDRF had identified the search point and resumed the rescue operation on Wednesday morning with assistance from PAC personnel and local authorities.Municipal Executive Officer Pradeep Giri said two excavators and around 60 sanitation workers were engaged in the search. He added that the civic body would cover open drains to prevent such incidents in future.The chairperson of the Aonla Municipal Council has announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to the child's location, officials said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)