Lucknow, May 30 (IANS) A six-year-old boy was killed on Saturday in Uttar Pradesh’s state capital Lucknow after a heavy iron gate of a day care centre fell on him while he was playing nearby.

Speaking to IANS about the incident, a relative of the victim blamed negligence on part of the authorities, saying that despite repeated complaints, the heavy gate of the ‘Bachpan Day Care Centre’ was not fixed by them.

The centre is an initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government for children with special needs and persons with disabilities.

The mother of the deceased boy said: “My son was playing right there. The gate was in a dilapidated condition. Everyone had been informing the authorities, but the government did not listen. When the child touched the gate, it fell on my child.”

A neighbour described the victim as a grandchild of a woman who stays in his locality.

“The boy went to play at 9 a.m. in the morning and was playing near the gate of the day care centre. The gate, which was already in a dilapidated condition, suddenly fell on him,” he told IANS.

He added: “Since the gate was very heavy, the child died on the spot. Still, we took him to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.”

Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manoj Singh said: “Children play near the gate of this day care centre. CCTV footage showed that a child was trying to open it. However, why the gate collapsed is a matter of investigation.”

Singh said that the child had come to his relatives’ house in the area.

He assured that the family members would receive all the necessary help from the administration.

Earlier this month, a five-year-old boy was crushed to death in Noida after a heavy iron gate collapsed on him while he was playing near his home.

According to locals, the child had climbed onto the gate while playing when it suddenly gave way and came crashing down on him.

–IANS

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