Two-and-half-year old boy dies after wall crashes on him in Bandra

The wall that had collapsed on Ayush at Nirmal Nagar, Bandra East, on Tuesday

A two-and-half-year-old boy died after a wall collapsed on him while he was preparing to go to school at his Bandra home. Ayush Suresh Pujari was playing outside while his mother fetched his school bag, when a wall that had been partially demolished by the authorities two years ago, crumbled on top of him. Following that, the parents had to run from one place to another for treatment during which time the boy passed away. The Nirmal Nagar police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case, but the father has demanded that the Collector be booked for negligence which caused the wall collapse.

Ayush was living with his father, an electrician, his mother, a housewife, and grandmother at Nirmal Nagar. The neighbourhood is surrounded by many dilapidated walls and structures partially demolished two years ago on the orders of the Collector. Residents have strongly resisted moves to evict them as they want the government to consider the land as theirs.

Suresh Pujari with a photo of his son Ayush. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

On Tuesday afternoon, between 12.30 pm and 12.45 pm, Ayush was getting ready to attend kindergarten. As his mother, Hema, went inside to get Ayush's school bag and water bottle, a 7.5-feet-tall wall located in front of the Pujaris's house collapsed on Ayush.

Residents quickly removed Ayush from debris and took him to a local doctor, who told them to take him to a hospital. They took him to a private hospital in Bandra (East), which refused to treat him. Then Ayush was taken to Bhabha Hospital, Bandra (W), where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. A post-mortem revealed that the child died due to internal injuries.

Father Suresh Pujari said. "I want the cops to register a case of negligence against the Collector," he said. Senior Inspector Subhash Jadhav of Nirmal Nagar Police Station said, "We are investigating the matter."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai, National and International news here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go