MUMBAI: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was pressed into action for rescue and search operation of an 18-month-old boy who fell into a gutter in Ambedkar Nagar area of Goregaon on Wednesday.
The boy continues to remain trapped and efforts to rescue him are underway, Mumbai Police said on Thursday. The incident occurred around 10:24 PM on Wednesday night and soon after being informed the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) began a search operation in the area.
Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, Mumbai Mayor said, "The person who is responsible for this mishap will be punished. We will take action against the person responsible for this incident."
Sandeep Singh, father of the minor said, "The police and fire brigade arrived within 15 minutes and started the search operation but the JCB didn't come till midnight. We and the police are still searching to find him. There is no lid on the gutter for the past many years, the locals try to cover it but that goes in vain when the rain comes."
"If this would have happened outside the Oberoi hotel, the lid on the gutter would have been fixed very early but nobody gives attention to the slums," he further said.
Along with fire brigade, police, ambulance and ward staff were also pressed into operation to rescue the boy.
Authorities have also obtained a CCTV visual of the incident in which the child could be seen walking alone on the road before falling in the open drainage system.